The Uttarakhand High Court (HC) on Monday began hearing a petition filed by the Congress against imposition of President’s Rule in the state on Sunday.

Justice UC Dhyani is hearing the petition. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing his party in the case.

The union cabinet recommended imposition of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand on Sunday.

With this, the Uttarakhand assembly was kept in suspended animation after President Pranab Mukherjee signed a proclamation under Article 356, just a day before Chief Minister Harish Rawat was slated to face a floor test to prove the Congress government’s majority.

Congress leaders and Rawat have called the decision a “murder of democracy”.