In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday the grievances put forth by the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Both states allege unwarranted delays by their respective governors in granting assent to bills that have been previously passed by their legislative assemblies.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is scheduled to hear the pleas, with particular attention to the challenges presented by the delays in the legislative processes of the two states.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly, in response to bills returned by Governor R N Ravi, conducted a special sitting on Saturday to re-adopt 10 bills covering various departments such as law, agriculture, and higher education. These re-adopted bills were subsequently resubmitted to the governor for his assent.
The Supreme Court had previously expressed concern over the delay in the governor's assent, terming it a "matter of serious concern" on November 10. The court sought the Centre's response to the Tamil Nadu government's petition, accusing the Raj Bhawan of hindering the progress of 12 legislations.
The legal battle intensifies as the Tamil Nadu government seeks the intervention of the Supreme Court, citing consistent unconstitutional behavior by a "constitutional authority" obstructing the state government's functioning for "extraneous reasons."
Similarly, the Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court, alleging Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's deliberate delays in granting assent to bills passed by the Assembly. The state argues that these delays jeopardize the rights and welfare measures intended for the people.
In response to the inaction on the part of the governor, the plea filed by the Kerala government contends that grave injustice is being done to the people of the state and undermines the foundational principles of the Constitution, including the rule of law and democratic governance.
