Centre For President's Rule In Arunachal Pradesh, Slammed By Opposition

The turmoil in Arunachal Pradesh intensified today with the union cabinet recommending President's Rule at an unscheduled meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
Sources say the government consulted the Attorney General and decided that law and order and governance had collapsed in Arunachal Pradesh and the situation warranted central intervention.
     The Centre's decision comes at a time seniormost Supreme Court judges are hearing petitions on the crisis.

The Congress, which rules the state, condemned the decision and vowed to

fight it "tooth and nail" in court.
"They are destabilizing a border state. This is political intolerance and Modi is the fountainhead of that intolerance," said former union minister Kapil Sibal.
     Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also criticised the Centre in tweets.

This turmoil began in Arunachal Pradesh on December 16 as 21 rebel Congress lawmakers joined hands with 11 BJP and two independent members to "impeach" Speaker Nabam Rebia at a makeshift venue.
27 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, including Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, boycotted the session calling it illegal and unconstitutional.
     A day later, the rebels and opposition lawmakers gathered at a community hall to "vote out" the Chief Minister and elect his replacement. A no-confidence motion moved by BJP and independent lawmakers was adopted with Deputy Speaker T Norbu Thongdok, who is also a rebel, in the Chair.

     The Gauhati High Court put on hold the decisions taken at the rebel "session". But after it dismissed the petition, the Speaker moved the Supreme Court, which has referred the case to a Constitutional bench.
Nabam Tuki has alleged that Governor Rajkhowa acted as a "BJP agent" and helped the rebel Congress lawmakers by calling an assembly session ahead of time.