Dehradun: Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul on Saturday asked the Harish Rawat-led state government to prove majority in the House by March 28, even as the chief minister petitioned him to remove Attorney General Umakant Uniyal and rebel Congress minister Harak Singh Rawat.
Rawat made the demands during a Cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss the crisis. Rawat's government has been hanging precariously after nine Congress rebel MLAs withdrew their support, giving the BJP a clear lead in the Assembly.
According to reports, both Attorney General Uniyal and rebel minister Rawat were removed from their posts by the government on Saturday.
The Uttarakhand chief minister is likely to meet the Congress leadership in Delhi on Sunday to discuss further course of action.
Rawat has claimed that five of the nine rebel MLAs are still in touch with him and may not leave the government. He said he is ready to prove his government's majority on the floor of the House.
The BJP on Friday had staked claim to form the government after declaring that it had the support of 35 legislators, including nine rebel Congress MLAs.
Rawat has alleged that the “top brass of RSS and BJP like Vijayvargiya were making rounds of Dehradun” in order to disablise his government.
"We are giving time to the rebel MLAs to accept their mistake and apologise for their actions," he added.
Earlier in the day, Rawat had met the speaker of the Assembly to discuss the situation and “to tender an apology as the Leader of the House for the unparliamentary conduct of some party MLAs”.
He also met the governor later in the evening.
