Uttarakhand crisis: Rebel Congress MLAs accuse Harish Rawat of horse-trading; CM alleges false implication

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday dubbed as 'false and fabricated' the sting operation CD released against him by rebel Congress MLAs.

Addressing the press, Rawat said he is being falsely implicated.

He alleged that “the reputation of the man behind the sting operation CD is hidden from anyone in Dehradun”.

People from his profession also afraid to meet him as they fear being falsely implicated, blackmailed by him, the CM said.

As per rebel MLAs who released the CD a shortwhile ago, the sting operation was conducted by the owner of a local channel.

Seeking to hit back at the channel owner, Rawat questioned his meteoric rise in terms of wealth.

“He has sought to destabilise past CMs as well who did not side with him,” the senior state Congress leader said.

While releasing the CD, nine rebel Congress MLAs alleged that CM Rawat was indulging in horse-trading to save his government from collapsing.

Rebel Congress MLA Harak Singh Rawat alleged that the government was trying to arm-twist as well as threaten them.

The rebels claimed the sting operation was conducted on March 23 and allegedly shows CM Rawat talking about buying MLAs.

Zee Media doesn't vouch for the authenticity of the sting video.

Nine Congress MLAs in Uttarakhand have rebelled and aligned with the BJP, threatening the Rawat government in the state.

State Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal has already issued notices to the nine rebel Congress MLAs asking them why they should not be disqualified from the membership of the House for violating the party whip.

Main opposition BJP, which has 26 legislators in the Assembly, has claimed that it has the support of nine rebel Congress MLAs and five others are also ready to switch over.

After BJP gave a notice of no-confidence motion, Governor Krishna Kant Paul has asked CM Rawat to prove his majority on the floor of the House by March 28.