"I will not allow" Catalan independence motion: Spanish PM

Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday he would not allow the motion passed by the Catalan regional assembly on Monday to begin moves towards the independence of the Catalan region.

Rajoy was speaking shortly after his government appealed to the Spanish Constitutional Court against the move taken in the Catalan assembly.

"This is an absolute challenge to the rule of law," said Rajoy, who accused the independence movement of "attacking" the "love felt by Spaniards towards their nation."

"Everything is being broken here... five centuries of history and the ... rights of millions of Spaniards," said Rajoy, who insisted the motion in the Catalan assembly "denied the entire current constitutional order."

"I am not going to allow it," he said.

If the Constitutional Court accepts the appeal, Catalan politicians supporting the motion would be forced to stop their actions or face charges of contempt of court, disobedience and even sedition.

The independence motion, which was passed with a majority of 72 votes in favor and 63 against, also states that the decisions of Spanish institutions such as the Constitutional Court will not be adhered to. Endit