Supreme Court Observes Limitations on Governor’s Role in Tamil Nadu Bills Row?

Chennai, December 1, 2023: In a significant development, the Supreme Court observed on Friday that a governor cannot forward bills to the President of India after they have been re-adopted by the state’s assembly, particularly when returned by the governor himself. This observation came during a hearing related to the ongoing Tamil Nadu bills controversy. The apex court urged Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi to engage in discussions with Chief Minister MK Stalin to resolve the impasse.

The bench, comprised of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, scheduled the next hearing for December 11. During the proceedings, the bench emphasized the importance of resolving the dispute between the governor and the chief minister. “We would like the governor to resolve the impasse… We will appreciate it if the governor resolves the impasse with the chief minister. I think the governor invites the chief minister; let them sit down and discuss it,” stated the bench, acknowledging the involvement of high constitutional functionaries.

Earlier this month, Governor RN Ravi returned 10 out of 12 bills that had been cleared by the Tamil Nadu assembly and were pending before his office since 2020. The governor, however, did not provide any reasons for dismissing the bills. In response, the Tamil Nadu Assembly convened a special session to readopt the bills, during which Opposition MLAs staged a walkout.

The governor’s actions drew the attention of the Supreme Court, which sought a response from the Central government on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government, highlighting the delay in processing the 12 bills. The court questioned the need for governors to wait for legal action before addressing grievances raised by political parties.

Referring to Article 200 of the Constitution during today’s proceedings, the Supreme Court asserted that governors are not authorized to send re-adopted bills to the President. The ongoing disputes between MK Stalin’s government and Governor RN Ravi have extended beyond the bills issue, encompassing various other contentious matters.

On October 31, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing Governor RN Ravi of “toying away with the citizen’s mandate.” The affidavit further outlined the government’s concerns over the governor’s actions, marking another chapter in the ongoing power struggle between the state government and the governor’s office.