PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah must apologise for 'trampling' democracy: Congress on Uttarakhand HC verdict

NEW DELHI: The Uttarakhand High Court's verdict setting aside imposition of President's rule in the state today spurred an elated Congress to attack the BJP, demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for "trampling" democracy and "murdering" constitution.

The verdict is a slap on face of BJP for trying to dislodge an elected government, it said.

Terming the court's verdict as a victory of people of Uttarakhand, democracy and constitutional norms, AICC Incharge Communications Randeep Singh Surjewala said Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah should learn a lesson from this "decisive and resounding verdict.

"This is a victory for the people of Uttarakhand, democracy and constitutional norms. This is also a slap on the face of those in BJP who sought to dislodge an elected government, elected with the mandate of people in Uttarakhand.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will be well advised to now tender an unconditional apology to the nation and also to people of Uttarakhand for trampling upon democracy, murdering constitution norms and subjugating the will of people to their blind quest to dislodge Congress governments. We welcome the verdict," Surjewala said.

He said that it proves the full majority which Congress enjoys and the "sinister conspiracies" which are being hatched from Arunanchal Pradesh to Uttarakhand and many other states to dislodge elected governments by "foul means, use of money and muscle power" should now at least come to an end.

"Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah should learn a lesson from this decisive and resounding verdict," he said.

Putting up a brave front, BJP claimed the Harish Rawat government in Uttarakhand is in minority and that this will be proved on April 29.

The kind of observations the state High Court has been making for last three days, we are not surprised by its order, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

Union Minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju said that blaming the central government for something which was a creation of the Congress is "unfortunate".

"We all respect the court verdict. I have nothing to comment on it but just to blame the central government for a particular situation which has been created by Congress party, that is unfortunate. It is congress party's creation, not ours (BJP)," he said.

Dealing a major blow to Modi government, the Uttarakhand High Court today quashed the imposition of President' rule in the state and revived the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat, who has been asked to prove his majority on April 29.