No Floor Test in Uttarakhand Assembly on April 29: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said there will no floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly on April 29 and that President's rule in the state will remain till the next hearing.

The SC, before posting the matter for its next hearing on May 3, said it will try to give a verdict by May 13.

Earlier the court asked tough questions to the Centre over the Uttarakhand crisis including whether a floor test could be grounds for President's rule.

The apex court questioned whether proceedings in the state Assembly could be considered for imposing President's rule. The court also sought an answer on when the President's rule comes into picture with regard to Appropriation bill.

"Could the Governor have sent the message in the present manner under Article 175 (2) for conducting floor test? Is disqualification of MLAs by the Speaker a relevant issue for the purposes of invoking President's rule under Article 356?" the court asked.

Hearing the Centre's appeal against the Uttarakhand High Court judgement revoking President's rule, the apex court framed seven tough questions and even gave liberty to the Attorney General to include other questions the government would like to be addressed.

The bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh gave an indication that the verdict may be pronounced before the court breaks for summer vacation by the middle of May. The bench made it clear that it was extending the stay on the Uttarakhand High Court verdict till further orders on the consent of parties.

Reacting to the development, former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat refused to comment on the court's decision, but took on the BJP saying, "The way BJP is threatening our leaders is condemnable."

Meanwhile, BJP leader and senior lawyer Nalin Kohli said, "It was raised that the appropriation bill was not sent to the Governor even after 24 hours of imposition of President's rule."

On April 22, the Supreme Court had stayed a landmark Uttarakhand High Court order revoking President's rule in the state.

The apex court had also clarified that it was keeping in abeyance the judgment of the High Court till the next date of hearing on April 27 as a measure of balance for both the parties as the copy of the verdict was not made available to the parties.

President's rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on March 27, just ahead of a trust vote by the Harish Rawat government.

(With PTI Inputs)