Thursday's floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly stayed; next hearing on April 6

Tomorrow's floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly was on Wednesday stayed by the Division Bench till April 7.

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Nainital: Tomorrow's floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly, ordered by a single judge of the High Court, was on Wednesday stayed by the Division Bench till April 7.

The Bench of Chief Justice KM Joseph and Justice VK Bisht passed the order on a petition filed by the Centre against yesterday's single judge directive for floor test tomorrow.

The order came after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre, strongly opposed yesterday's order saying courts cannot interfere with the Presidential proclamation.

The next date of hearing before the Division Bench is April 6.

Reacting on the order, BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "Welcome this decision. Single bench order was given in a hurry."

The Centre today had moved the Uttarakhand HC challenging an interim order by a single bench directing a floor test in the Assembly on March 31, days after President's Rule was imposed in the state.

The petition sought clarity on whether the floor test can be held in the state Assembly after the promulgation of President's rule when the House is in suspended animation.

After a two-day hearing on a writ petition challenging the imposition of President's rule in the state, the single judge bench of Justice UC Dhyani in an interim order yesterday had directed a floor test in the Assembly on March 31 and allowed even the nine disqualified rebel MLAs of the Congress to vote during the exercise.

Filed by former chief minister Harish Rawat through his counsel and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the writ petition has Union of India as the respondent. 

(With Agency inputs)