Don't disturb 'federal structure': Rawat warns Centre

Dehradun: Hailing the High Court's verdict ordering restoration of his government in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre has 'every right' to approach the Supreme Court in this regard but added that the ruling dispensation must not disturb the federal structure for ulterior motives. Rawat also slammed the Centre for interfering with the functioning of the states and said that dismissing the governments on the basis of 'local politics' was incorrect. "They won't get any respite from the Supreme Court because this decision was taken keeping the welfare of the state in mind. They have every right to approach the apex court. We would like to request the Centre to allow the state governments to work the way they want as that is what the federal structure is all about," Rawat said. "Regarding the court's decision, let the local people decide if it is good or bad. Removing the governments on the basis of local politics is not right," he added. Earlier, the BJP blamed the 'internal strife' within the Congress Party for the political crisis in Uttarakhand. "This is the same Congress, which has hit a century in toppling the governments, whether it is Indira ji or Rajiv ji or Nehru ji. Sonia ji had done similar things during Arunachal crisis, look what happened, they failed," BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said. Meanwhile, the Centre will move the Supreme Court today challenging the Uttarakhand High Court's order quashing the imposition of President's rule in the state. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said yesterday that he would mention the matter before the apex court seeking a stay on the verdict. The High Court yesterday ordered restoration of the Rawat-led Congress Government in the state, saying that the Centre did not have any concrete proof to impose the President's rule. The High Court asked Rawat to prove his government's majority on the floor of the assembly on the April 29.