Win For Stalin-Led Govt As SC Declares TN Governor's Withholding Of 10 Bills Illegal, Says 'Deemed Approved'

In a win for DMK-led government, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday delivered a sharp rebuke to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, declaring his decision to withhold assent to 10 Bills passed by the State Assembly as "illegal". The judgment came in response to a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government, which accused the Governor of stalling crucial legislation without justification.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that Governor RN Ravi's withholding of the bills was "illegal". In an unprecedented move, the court declared the bills automatically passed from the date they were resent by the legislature, as per a report on Bar and Bench.

The apex court also clarified that a Governor does not have the authority to reserve Bills for the President after refusing assent.

The Tamil Nadu government had argued that the Governor's indefinite delay in granting assent was effectively paralyzing governance and obstructing the democratic process, reported Live Law. The stalled Bills included legislation related to the appointment of Vice Chancellors in state universities — a politically sensitive issue in the ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the elected government.

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(More details awaited)

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