Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday deliberated with senior ministers on the Supreme Court order on Arunachal Pradesh and explored the way forward, including a review petition to be filed possibly by Chief Minister Kalikho Pul.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and top government officials met at the Home Ministry and examined the apex court ruling and its implications, official sources said.
After the hour-long meeting, the ministers drove to 7 Race Course Road, the official residence of the Prime Minister, to discuss their future course of action with him.
Sources said there is a possibility of filing a review petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the five judge bench order by Pul, whose government has been displaced. However, the top functionaries are still debating whether the central government will file the petition or by someone from the Kalikho Pul government.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday restored ousted Congress Chief Minister Nabam Tuki in Arunachal Pradesh, elating the Opposition, which hailed the verdict as a victory of democracy.
In a unanimous verdict, a Constitution bench directed the restoration of the status quo ante as it existed on 15 December, 2015, effectively bringing Tuki back as Chief Minister.
The apex court quashed Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa’s decision to advance the state Assembly session from January 2016 to December 2015, which set off developments leading to Tuki’s ouster.
A visibly pleased Tuki described the Supreme Court judgment as a “historic verdict” and said the ruling would help protect “healthy democracy” in the country.
According to the judgment, our government has been restored. I’ll go to the state and talk to all the 47 Congress MLAs. We will call a meeting.Nabam Tuki
It was the second such ruling by the Supreme Court since May when it similarly restored the ousted government of Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat in Uttarakhand.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi thanked the Supreme Court for “explaining to the Prime Minister what democracy is.”
BJP criticised the Supreme Court verdict on Arunachal Pradesh while the entire opposition hit out at the Modi government, accusing it of “misuse of power” and “transgression” of constitutional structure.
(With PTI inputs.)
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