U'khand under Central rule, Cong says "murder of democracy"

Capping a nine-day high-voltage political drama, the Centre today brought Uttarakhand under President's rule citing a Constitutional breakdown in the wake of a rebellion in the ruling Congress, which slammed the decision calling it a "murder of democracy" and a "black" day.
President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.
The Centre was of the view that continuance of the Rawat government was "immoral and unconstitutional" after March 18 when the Speaker declared the Appropriation Bill "passed" in controversial circumstances without allowing a division pressed for by 35 MLAs, including 9 rebel Congress legislators.

The Union Cabinet had held an emergency meeting here last night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam to return to the capital for the purpose.
The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor K K Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly tomorrow.
The purported CD of the sting operation conducted against the Chief Minister that was in public domain yesterday was understood to have been factored into the decision of the Cabinet which found it as a case of horse trading.