Mr Harish Rawat's reinstatement as Chief Minister following an order of the Uttarakhand High Court lasted for less than 24 hours. President’s Rule was revived in the State on Friday following the Centre’s plea in the Supreme Court challenging the order.
After the High Court Order, Mr Rawat took charge as the State's Chief Minister and presided over two Cabinet meetings within 24 hours where not less than 11 decisions were taken. The decisions included those on land rights for slum dwellers, and pensions for Uttarakhand rajya andolankaris (statehood agitators).
While the Supreme Court’s decision came as a setback for the Congress, Mr Rawat said he was ready for such situations since the matter was being decided by the courts.
He said, “I have told my ministers that there will be times when some orders will be valid only for a few hours or a few days. We are ready to face such situations.”
After the Supreme Court Order, Mr Rawat said, “We had to hold the Cabinet meetings and take decisions because developmental works in the State have suffered for over a month now. We needed to expedite the works, so we held the Cabinet meetings and took decisions [soon after we got relief from the High Court].”
On the Supreme Court’s caveat that the Central government would not revoke President's Rule until April 27, Mr Rawat said while the Centre had the “ill intentions” of revoking President's Rule from the State and trying to get the BJP to form a government , the Supreme Court Order would prevent such a scenario. “The Centre has assured the Supreme Court that it wouldn't revoke President's Rule [at least till the next hearing in the Supreme Court]. This is a relief for us.”
Mr Rawat further said that he was “not sad” after the Supreme Court Order. “The last fight remains, whether it is in the Supreme Court or in the courts of the people of Uttarakhand, and we are ready for both,” he said.
