PM Narendra Modi can lift President's Rule in Uttarakhand to instate his pawn as CM: Congress

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Kishore Upadhyay on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could lift President's Rule from the state to get one of his pawns swear-in as chief minister unlawfully.

"I have come to know from well-placed sources that Prime Minister Modi, who got President Rule imposed in the state through unconstitutional means to oust a government that was performing well, can lift President's Rule from Uttarakhand and will get his pawn swear-in as the chief minister unlawfully, which is a matter of worry for the state," Upadhyay told ANI.

Asked when President's Rule would be lifted, he said it could happen tonight. "They can do it tonight also. I have consulted former chief minister Harish Rawat and other Congress members, and we have decided to inform Governor K.K. Paul about it."

"The people of Uttarakhand will not tolerate the murder of democracy in the state, and if any untoward incident takes place, Narendra Modi will be responsible for that," he added.

When asked would you stake claim before the Governor, Upadhyay said, "Our legislators and Rawat ji will be arriving here soon, thereafter we will decide about it."

However, confirming Upadhyay's claim, Rawat said, "Statements made by Kailash Vijayvargiya and others have strengthen such reports, but what the Centre's lawyers had said in the high court, I don't think that the BJP would dare to do that and if they do, that will be contempt of court."