Don't let your love of power overrule people's mandate: Rahul Gandhi to Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi tonight reacted sharply over the imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand, telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi bluntly that "don't let your love of power overrule people's mandate".

"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," the Congress Vice President said on micro blogging site Twitter.

Party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala also issued a strongly worded statement targeting the Centre.

"Post-Arunachal, democracy has been murdered in broad day light, Constitution has been negated with defiant impunity and Raj dharma has been shred to pieces by Modi government with imposition of President Rule in Uttarakhand", he said.

"Congress Party will not be deterred, will not be cowed down and will not back track in face of such conspiracies to topple its governments.

"We will exercise all our Constitutional rights besides taking the battle to people's court," Surjewala said adding that the party was "certain" that the BJP will be "punished" in the five-election going states.

He alleged that the Prime Minister and BJP leadership first hatched a conspiracy last night to trample upon Constitution and violate democracy in a meeting of Union Cabinet.

"Despite stiff opposition and adverse opinion, Modi government implemented the sinister conspiracy today by bulldozing democracy and imposing President's Rule.

"More so, Uttarakhand Assembly has been kept in suspended animation with a view to propagate and perpetuate horse-trading of MLAs with active abetment and conspiracy of BJP leadership", he alleged.

Claiming that the BJP used money power and muscle power in Uttarakhand to destabilize the Congress government, he said it miserably failed.

"BJP then sponsored a petition in the High Court through disgruntled legislators to prevent the Speaker of Assembly from exercising his constitutional powers under anti-defection law.

"High Court of Uttarakhand negated this conspiracy and dismissed the petition," he said alleging that the BJP leadership then resorted to the "pettiness of a fake sting operation" against Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Congress government.

This fake sting operation also could not cut any ice, he said.