Uttarakhand Crisis: Sting Showing Harish Rawat Genuine, Say CBI Sources

New Delhi: A sting operation that allegedly showed former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat attempting to bribe lawmakers to support him in a floor test is genuine, sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI have said.

The CBI has asked Mr Rawat, who was displaced as chief minister when the Centre imposed President's Rule in Uttarakhand in late March, to appear for questioning on Monday next.

The opposition BJP has alleged that Mr Rawat was caught on camera attempting to "buy back" the support of nine lawmakers from his party, who rebelled against his leadership and have since been disqualified from the state assembly.

Mr Rawat has not denied that it is him on camera, but says he has been framed. "If any evidence is found against me like me offering money or post to anybody, hang me at Clock Tower," Mr Rawat said on the weekend. The Clock Tower is a landmark in the heart of state capital Dehradun.

The CBI summons comes just days after the Supreme Court said that Mr Rawat should be allowed to take a trust vote in the state assembly. The Centre has said it will get back to the court by tomorrow.

The top court is hearing the Centre's appeal against a verdict of the Uttarakhand High Court, which removed President's Rule and reinstated Mr Rawat, 69, as chief minister last month. Mr Rawat was back in the post for a day before the Supreme Court said President's Rule would continue while it hears the Centre's plea.

The Centre alleged a constitutional crisis in Uttarakhand as it imposed President's Rule just a day before Mr Rawat was meant to take a trust vote to determine whether he has a majority in the state assembly.

The Centre argues that Mr Rawat had minority status after the nine Congress rebels allegedly voted against him when he presented the budget for the state. The budget, it says, was wrongly declared as approved, when, in fact, most members had not backed it.