The Uttarakhand High Court today rejected the Centre’s plea for deferring the hearing on former Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s petition challenging the imposition of President’s rule in the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K M Joseph and Justice V K Bisht did not allow the plea of two Additional Solicitors General (ASG), representing the Centre, that the hearing be adjourned as a “completely new case” has been set up by Rawat.

ASGs Tushar Mehta and Maninder Singh sought adjournment on the ground that issue of alleged passage of appropriation bill by the state assembly brings in completely new facts and needed to be responded to as they deal with the root of the case.

“We are not going to adjourn it. If you want to file a response then file it during the day or by tomorrow,” the bench said and assured the law officers that it would not deal with the issue till the Centre files its response.

The bench, however, made clear that it will go ahead with the hearing of the case.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the ousted Chief Minister, opposed the Centre’s bid to get the matter adjourned on the ground of filing its response on the issue of appropriation bill.

The appropriation bill is a consolidated legislation on the state’s annual budget which was declared passed by the state Assembly.

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