A furious Oriol Junqueras rejected the “coup” and insisted “the president of the country is and will remain Carles Puigdemont” as Madrid sacked the Catalan government.
Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy yesterday triggered Article 155 of the constitution, imposing direct rule on the region.
Madrid has stripped Catalonia of its autonomy, closing its parliament, dismissing the government, and firing police chiefs and other public servants.
But Mr Junqueras has now slapped down the government’s move as illegitimate as he maintains Mr Puigdemont, who is expected to be arrested, is the true president of Catalonia.
As Spain imposed direct rule, Mr Puigdemont immediately appeared to reject the move, referring to himself as “the leader of the country” as he called for peaceful resistance to Spain’s takeover.
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The sacked leader demanded his fellow Catalans defend their mandate for independence.
In his call for peaceful resistance to Spain, the separatist pledged to continue working “to build a free country”.
He said: “Yesterday the Spanish government decided to sack the Catalan government and dissolve the parliament.
“This is contrary to the expressed will of the citizens of our country, who know perfectly well that in a democracy it is parliaments that choose or remove presidents.
“We must fight without violence or insult, in a manner that respects people and their opinion.
“We call on your patience and perseverance. The best way is to resist Article 155.
“We have felt, as a European nation, we must resist the threat without ever giving up. But, we will never use force, I ask you.”
It is expected peaceful resistance will nonetheless lead to violent clashes between separatists and the Spanish civil guard in a repeat of the brutality of the referendum vote.