Arunachal comes under Prez Rule amid political turmoil

Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday came under central rule with President Pranab Mukherjee giving assent to the Union Cabinet’s recommendation on such a course following political instability in the state.

Official sources said the President signed the proclamation two days after the Cabinet held an unscheduled meeting on Sunday to recommend that the North-eastern border state be brought under central rule.

Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju had said the Cabinet was forced to take the decision because of a Constitutional breakdown as six months had lapsed between two sessions of the state Assembly.

On Monday, Mukherjee called Home Minister Rajnath Singh and asked him to explain the rationale behind the need for imposing the President’s rule even as Congress, the ruling party in the state, met him and opposed the Cabinet decision.

The Congress delegation, including senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Kapil Sibal, also submitted a memorandum in which the party said that this is for the first time that a decision to impose President’s Rule has been taken in the midst of a court hearing.

The party urged the President not to give assent to the Cabinet decision saying the issue was before the Supreme Court which has decided to hear the Congress petition on Wednesday.

Other major Opposition parties had also attacked the Centre’s decision saying it amounted to “murder” of democracy while the BJP said the crisis was of Congress’ making because it had lost numbers in the Assembly.

Arunachal Pradesh has been rocked by a political crisis since December 16 last year when 21 rebel Congress MLAs joined hands with 11 of BJP and two independents to “impeach” Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia at a makeshift venue, in a move branded as “illegal and unconstitutional” by the Speaker.