Uttarakhand crisis : Congress moves court against President's rule

Both Singhvi and Sibal themselves are top lawyers.

In state capital Dehradun, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat has called a meeting of his party's lawmakers. "Even today we can prove full majority, this is what the BJP feared," reports quoted d Congress MLA Hemesh Kharkwal as saying.

The nine rebel lawmakers of the Congress who scripted the Uttarakhand crisis, also headed for the High Coiurt. They will challenge their disqualification from the Uttarakhand assembly by the Speaker.

The President's rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday on the ground of constitutional breakdown, a day before Rawat was to have faced a floor test in the state assembly to prove his majority following revolt of nine Congress lawmakers.

Governor KK Paul's reports on the political situation and on a sting operation against  Rawat, is said to have prompted the decision.

Rawat has called it a "murder of democracy," while his party, the Congress has said it  will challenge the decision in court.

"Modiji don't let your love of power overrule ppl's mandate. @INCIndia is ready-fight elections, seek ppl's mandate, don't usurp their right," tweeted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday night.

Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal disqualified the nine lawmakers who had defected from the Congress under the anti-defection law. That would have allowed the Rawat government to sail through the trust vote.

But the rebel lawmakers, who were enjoying direct support from BJP MLAs,  released a sting video on Saturday, alleging that  Rawat was attempting horse-trading to save his government. In the video,  Rawat is purportedly seen talking to the owner of a news channel about lawmakers being brought to his side through bribery.

 Rawat has rejected the video as fake.