Centre's appeal against a court order removing President's Rule in Uttarakhand

On Uttarakhand, Centre Moves Supreme Court, No Dates Yet: 10 Developments

The Centre's appeal against a court order removing President's Rule in Uttarakhand may be heard today or on Monday. The Supreme Court has asked the Chief Justice to decide. Harish Rawat, who has been reinstated as Chief Minister, held a cabinet meeting last night, hours after his reinstatement.

Here are 10 developments in the story:

1. The central government will make a "special mention" in the Supreme Court today saying the Harish Rawat government is in a minority.
2. The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday set aside the Centre's decision in March to place the hill state under President's Rule.
3. "The Centre has every right to approach the Supreme Court, but we are confident they won't get any relief," Mr Rawat said.
4. Among his first few decisions after resuming charge, was to set up a committee to look into the water crisis in the state.
5. The Uttarakhand High Court has said that Mr Rawat has to take a trust vote on April 29.
6. Nine rebel Congress lawmakers who remain disqualified, a decision taken by the Speaker just before President's Rule, have appealed against the high court's decision to bar them from the floor test.
7. The Centre is likely to press the argument that Mr Rawat's own party men voted against him when he presented the budget, and that it was eventually passed in violation of legislature rules.
8. This contention was rejected by the High Court, but the Centre hopes to establish it as grounds for the constitutional crisis it declared when it established President's Rule.
9. The high court judges were fierce in their criticism of the Centre, underscoring that President's Rule "should be used as a matter of last resort," and that the removal of "a democratically elected government breeds cynicism in the heart of citizens".
10. In March, just one day before Mr Rawat was scheduled to prove his majority in the legislature, the Centre declared that it would govern Uttarakhand through Governor KK Paul. It has argued that since President Pranab Mukherjee signed off on the decision, the move could not be examined by courts. "Even the President can be wrong," the judges said.