New Delhi, July 13: Rahul Gandhi today thanked the Supreme Court for "explaining to the Prime Minister what democracy is" after the apex court restored the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh, which rebel and Opposition MLAs had toppled in December.
If Rahul targeted Narendra Modi specifically, his mother and party president, Sonia Gandhi, took on the government in general.
Sonia welcomed the verdict "reinstating the democratically elected and unconstitutionally removed government in Arunachal Pradesh", hoping "the judgment would deter the Union government from any further misuse of power".
"Those who had trampled upon constitutional propriety and democratic norms have been defeated today," Sonia said in a short statement released by the party.
Rahul tweeted: "Thank you Supreme Court for explaining to the Prime Minister what democracy is #ArunachalPradesh."
The verdict has charged the Congress up ahead of Parliament's monsoon session, which begins next week.
Sources said the party would use the subject to corner the government as it tries to push the goods and services tax bill through in the House.
They added that the ruling would also enthuse the ranks in the run-up to next year's elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Several Congress leaders today gunned for Arunachal governor J.P. Rajkhowa, criticised by the court for some of his decisions that had paved the way for Tuki's ouster.
"...Governor shld accept responsibility n resign, Central Govt shld apologize and BJP must learn a lesson," Sachin Pilot tweeted.
Kabil Sibal, Congress MP and a lawyer in the case, claimed the apex court had never before restored status quo ante in such cases. He threatened an agitation if the governor did not resign at once.
Sibal also demanded a probe into the Congress rebellion.
He alleged that "a tape-recorded conversation which we produced both in the high court and the Supreme Court... points the needle of suspicion towards the Prime Minister and the home minister. We would like both these authorities to explain their position in Parliament".
Uttarakhand's Congress chief minister, Harish Rawat, who too was toppled before being reinstated in May by an apex court order for a floor test, welcomed the Arunachal verdict, a PTI report said.
Rawat said the back-to-back judgments on the two mountain states would "go a long way in protecting constitutional norms".
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: "SC judgment yet another tight slap on dictatorial Modi govt. Hope Modi ji wud learn n now stop interfering in democratically elected govts."
