Cong dismisses U'khand ordinance as unconstitutional

The confrontation over the Uttarakhand issue is set to escalate with Congress dismissing as "unconstitutional" the ordinance issued by the Centre to authorise expenditure from today in the hill state which is under President's rule.
The party has said that it would move court against the ordinance as it contends that the state Assembly had duly passed the Appropriation Bill on March 18 and the Speaker had declared it so.
"Can there be two budgets? One passed by the state Assembly and the other promulgated through an ordinance by the central government?"
"How can the central govt be the arbiter of proceedings in a Vidhan Sabha? The Centre's move is unconstitutional," party spokesman Manish Tewari said.

Striking a similar note, the party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that Uttarakhand Assembly "constitutionally passed" the Appropriation bill reflecting the people's aspirations.
"It is the Modi government's sinister conspiracy to obstruct and annul implementation of public welfare schemes and programmes, funds for which were allotted in the Budget," he alleged.
Terming the move as "legislative dishonesty" of the BJP government to deny genuine developmental aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand, he claimed that this was done first by proroguing Parliament and then "following the ordinance route to perpetuate illegalities".
Congress has accused the Centre of having "murdered democracy" by imposing President's rule in the state.