President approves central rule in Arunachal Pradesh

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday approved the cabinet recommendation to impose central rule in Arunachal Pradesh, official sources said.

"It's done," an official of the Rashtrapati Bhawan told IANS, when asked about whether the president has given his nod to central rule in Arunachal Pradesh or not.

The union cabinet had on Sunday recommended imposition of President's Rule in the north eastern state.

Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa by his December 9, 2015, message had advanced the date of the convening of the assembly session. The move was criticised by the Congress and party leader Kapil Sibal had said the governor should not have acted on a resolution by the opposition BJP legislators and two independents.

On January 18, the Supreme Court said it would examine whether Rajkhowa's decision of advancing the assembly session to December 16 to take up the resolution for the removal of Speaker Nabam Rebia was valid or not.

Rebia was removed as Speaker by 14 rebel Congress legislators backed by BJP lawmakers on December 16 in an assembly session held in a community hall in Itanagar that was presided over by the deputy speaker.

The 14 rebel Congress lawmakers were earlier disqualified by Rebia.

The deputy speaker, before moving the motion removing Rebia as speaker, restored the membership of the 14 legislators.