New Delhi
The Supreme Court raised concerns on Monday over the delay by Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi in providing assent to Bills passed by the state legislature. The bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, questioned the Governor’s decision to return 10 out of 12 Bills after the court issued a notice on the Tamil Nadu government’s plea. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the Governor’s delay, highlighting that the Bills had been pending since January 2020. The bench inquired why the Governor waited for the parties to approach the Supreme Court before taking action. Attorney General R. Venkataramani clarified that the incumbent Governor assumed office in November 2021. CJI Chandrachud emphasized that the concern is not about a specific Governor causing delay but whether there has been a general delay in Governors exercising constitutional functions under Article 200. The Attorney General informed the court that out of 181 Bills presented between 2020 and 2023, the Governor assented to 152, while five were withdrawn, nine reserved for the President’s consideration, and assent was withheld for 10 Bills. Five Bills sent to the Governor in October 2023 are currently in process. The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing until December 1, considering that the Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopted 10 Bills on Saturday, which were sent back by the Governor for reconsideration. The court will monitor the Governor’s response to the re-adopted Bills. The Tamil Nadu government’s petition asserts that the Governor has positioned himself as a political rival to the elected state government.
