Reacting sharply to the Centre imposing President's Rule in Uttarakhand on Sunday afternoon, the outgoing Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that they would take the matter to the High Court.
He dubbed the Central move as “nothing short of murder of democracy and trampling of the Constitution”. “This amounts to stifling the voice of the people who voted us to power,” he said, adding that he was confident to win the floor test slated for Monday.
Slamming the Centre, he further said had they been confident they would have dissolved the Assembly and paved the way for fresh election. “They, instead, hatched intrigues to dislodge me undemocratically. The people would not take it lying down as the drastic step is an affront against them too,” he said, adding that the Assembly being kept in suspended animation they might form the Government again.
Venting anger against the rebel Congress MlAs, the outgoing Chief Minister said the people would not forgive them.
“Since the time I took over as the Chief Minister, the BJP had been baying for my blood. They brought no- confidence motion against me a few days after I assumed charge. The BJP-led NDA regime targeted me as I have been protesting against them for reducing the Central assistance. The vindictive Centre has not paid a single penny for organising Ardh Kumbh mela. Alarm bells rang for them as the State Finance Minister, Indira Hridayesh presented a budget that envisioned concrete steps to develop various segments of the people like minority, youth and women,” he said.
Tearing into the former Cabinet Minister and dissident leader, Harak Singh Rawat, Harish Rawat said he was a greedy person.
“He looks for money everywhere. When we brought legislation to seize unaccounted properties he asked me to withdraw it. I regret to say that I had to compromise with such a unscrupulous and corrupt leader,” he said.
He said that he continued to be the Chief minister of Uttarkhand. “I have not received the President’s Rule notification so far,” he said.