The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday pulled up the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre on the imposition of President's Rule in the state, and said, "you [The central government] are cutting at root of democracy", reported The Indian Express. The state government was dissolved after much chaos over the passage of the Appropriation Bill on March 18, when 35 MLAs, including nine rebel Congress MLAs, said their demand for division of votes was ignored by the Speaker. “Can one solitary instance topple a democratically-elected government in its fourth-fifth year…," the court asked.

A bench of Chief Justice KM Joseph and Justice VK Bist said the Centre is supposed to have a neutral stand in matters of the states. The court said it is “totally extraneous” for the central government to be concerned about the disqualification of nine rebel MLAs in a state ruled by an opposition party. The bench said such interference should be reserved for extraordinary situations alone.

“The floor test was scheduled for March 28… The Governor had communicated to the Speaker about the floor test. What was the hurry to impose President’s Rule? the court asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi. The court observed that the Governor should ideally be a "non-partisan" person, not an "agent" of the central government. Ousted Chief Minister Harish Rawat will undergo a floor test in the state Assembly on Tuesday.