Hopefully Centre will not provoke us: Uttarakhand High Court

NAINITAL: The Uttarakhand High Court has said that it hoped the Centre would not “provoke” the court by revoking President’s rule in the state until a verdict is delivered on the petition challenging its imposition.

The court also observed that the legitimacy of the President’s decision to suspend the assembly was subject to judicial scrutiny, as even the President could go wrong. “We hope they will not provoke us,” a bench of Chief Justice KM Joseph and Justice VK Bist said after senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that President’s rule might be revoked before verdict is pronounced or even reserved.

Singhvi, who appeared for former CM Harish Rawat in his plea challenging President’s rule, expressed the fear after the Centre said the AG’s assurance of April 7 that nothing would be done on central rule till April 17 had “expired”. Additional SG Tushar Mehta did not confirm whether any decision on revocation of President’s rule has been taken by the Centre.

Singhvi said President rule should not be lifted before judgment is reserved or pronounced and the “Opposition” should not be invited to form a government as this would render the plea infructuous. Earlier the bench said, “people can go wrong, be it the President or the judges.”