New Delhi/Chennai: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a sharp rebuke to Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for delaying his decision on several bills passed by the state legislature, calling his actions unconstitutional and a violation of his mandated role under the Constitution. A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ruled that the Governor's move to reserve 10 bills for the President's consideration — after they had already been returned and re-passed by the state Assembly — went against Article 200 of the Constitution, which governs the Governor’s assent to bills.
The court made it clear that the Governor does not enjoy any discretion in such matters and is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. The bench stated that the Governor cannot indefinitely withhold assent nor exercise what is effectively an "absolute veto" or "pocket veto."
According to the verdict, once a bill is passed by the Assembly and sent to the Governor for a second time, the only constitutional course of action is for the Governor to either assent to it or, in rare cases, withhold assent if the bill differs substantially from its earlier version. Reserving it again for Presidential consideration is not permitted. Following the court’s intervention, all 10 pending bills have now been cleared.
Reacting to the judgment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin made a statement in the state Assembly, calling it a “historic verdict.” He said, “The Governor had returned several bills without giving his assent. We moved the Supreme Court ,and it has now ruled that such withholding of assent was illegal. This is a major victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all state governments in India.”
The court’s verdict is being seen as a reaffirmation of federal principles and a significant precedent curbing the discretionary overreach of governors in legislative matters.
(With inputs from agency)
