Supreme court pulls up Tamil Nadu governor for ‘sitting over’ Bills

The court said the governor is obligated to adopt one course of action – give assent to Bills, withhold assent and reserve for consideration of the president

• India Weekly
• 08 April, 2025

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By: India Weekly

THE SUPREME COURT on Tuesday (8) came down heavily on Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and said that reservation of 10 Bills by him for consideration of the president was in contravention of constitutional provisions.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that under Article 200 of the Constitution, the governor does not possess any discretion and has to mandatorily act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers.

Article 200 of the Constitution deals with assent to Bills.

The bench said the governor cannot withhold assent and adopt concept of absolute veto or pocket veto.

It said the governor is obligated to adopt one course of action – give assent to Bills, withhold assent and reserve for consideration of the president.

The bench said it was not open for the governor to reserve Bill for consideration of the president after it was presented to him for the second time.

It said the governor must assent to the Bills produced before him in the second round and the only exception is in case the Bill in the second round is different from the first one.

Stalin hails verdict

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday (9) welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict on the issue of governor’s pending assent to bills adopted by the state Assembly, hailing it as ‘historic,’ and a victory for all state governments in the country.

The SC ruled the bills are now considered having been given the Governor’s assent, Stalin told the Assembly, shortly after the apex court’s order.

The chief minister told the House that many bills that had been sent to the Governor after the Assembly adopted them were returned by Ravi. They were re-adopted and again sent to him.

“The Constitution mandates Governor to approve the bills once adopted for the second time but he didn’t…he was also delaying…” Stalin said, adding the state government moved the SC against this.