The Supreme Court on Monday instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to provide an updated status report on the action done by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on the measures enacted by the Assembly, observing that governors need to do some soul-searching, news agency PTI reported. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled that governors must act on laws even before they come before the Supreme Court. Solicitor General Mehta, standing for the Punjab Governor, said the bench that the governor had taken action on legislation presented to him and that the Punjab government's appeal was frivolous.
"Governors must act even before the matter comes to the Supreme Court. This has to come to an end when governors act only when matters reach the Supreme Court...A little bit of soul searching is needed by governors and they must know that they are not elected representatives of people. The SG says the Punjab governor has taken action and an updated status report will be placed in a few days. Let the plea be listed on Friday and let the court be apprised of the action taken by the governor," the bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was quoted by PTI in its report.
The issue has been listed for hearing on November 10 before the Supreme Court.
The Punjab governor has a long-running conflict with the AAP administration led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Purohit granted his assent to two of the three measures handed to him on November 1, just days after writing to Mann, indicating he would review all proposed legislation on merit before allowing them to be filed in the Assembly.
Tabled money legislation in the House require the governor's approval.
Purohit has given his approval to the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, as well as the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023.
However, in an earlier letter to the chief minister on October 19, the governor refused to sign three money bills.
Purohit had refused to sign the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023, all of which were scheduled to be debated in the Assembly on October 20-21.
The governor had previously stated that the October 20-21 session, which was planned as an extension of the budget session, was "bound to be illegal" and that any activity undertaken during it was "illegal." The Punjab government cut short its two-day session on October 20.