Locked Assembly, governance breakdown led to President rule, says Arunachal Guv
30 Jan 2016 4:37 AM IST
Breakdown of governance, including law and order, and lock down of Assembly building were cited as key reasons for collapse of the constitutional machinery in Arunachal Pradesh by Governor JP Rajkhowa in its report to the Centre recommending President’s rule.
The Governor also said reports indicated about the involvement of ruling Congress through third parties with banned underground Naga outfit NSCN (Khaplang) for pressurising dissident MLAs.
Rajkhowa said the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker, together with the government, had prevented the meeting of the Legislative Assembly from taking place on the Assembly premises. “It is worth mentioning that locking of the Assembly premises amounts to locking of the Constitution,” the report said.
While recommending Central rule in the state, the Union Cabinet said the Congress government in the state does not command the majority in the Assembly.
By making attempts to prevent the Assembly session, “the Speaker, in connivance with the minority government, has tried to defeat the basic principle of democracy and the basic requirement of the Constitution that the Chief Minister must command majority of the House and such majority should be tested on the floor of the House,” the Centre said while batting for Central rule in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Centre said there is a complete breakdown of governance, including law and order, in the state. It said the indicators of such Constitutional breakdown are: Governor’s letters/ reference to the Chief Minister on matters of public importance concerning the state administration are mostly not responded to, in violation of Article 167(b) of the Constitution.
“Even the Raj Bhavan premises were under seige by the supporters of Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and Speaker Nabam Rebia for several hours as the district administration and the police did not enforce the prohibitory orders and not even single arrest was made,” the Cabinet’s recommendation said. The Governor, who is the nominee of the President, is being publicly insulted, humiliated and even gheraoed by the supporters of the present government and the state government is behaving as a silent spectator. Gherao of the Governor amounts to Constitutional breakdown in the state, the Centre said.
Tuki files fresh plea in SC against Prez rule in crisis-hit state
Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Thursday filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the promulgation of President’s rule in the crisis-hit state.
The plea filed by the Congress leader is likely to be taken up for hearing on Monday by a five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Justice JS Khehar, along with other petitions moved by persons like Rajesh Tacho, chief whip of the Congress Legislature party in the state Assembly.
The plea has been filed after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Centre, had raised the objection that the earlier petitions have not challenged the imposition of President’s rule, which was invoked after filing of those pleas.
On Wednesday, the imposition of President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh had come under the scanner of the Apex Court, which sought the report of Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa recommending Central rule in the state, saying “it is too serious a matter”. The Bench had asked the Attorney General not to raise “technical objections” when he persisted with his plea arguing that “rules are rules” and they apply equally to all.
It had then posted the matter for February 1, asking the Governor and the Ministry of Home Affairs to file responses by Friday, by when the petitioners have been allowed to amend their plea. The Bench, for its own perusal, sought in a sealed cover the report and recommendation on imposition of the President’s rule.
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