'Cannot Send Bills To President After...': SC Asks TN Guv To Meet CM Stalin To Resolve Issue

The Supreme Court has asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to meet the state CM to resolve the issue amid on an ongoing tussle between the state government and the Guv.

SC on row over bills in Tamil Nadu.

Source : Getty

The Supreme Court on Friday asked Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi to hold a meeting with CM MK Stalin and resolve impasse over assent to bills passed by the state assembly. The top court noted the fact it is "dealing with high constitutional functionaries", and said that the Governor cannot send bills to the President after they are re-adopted by the Assembly after once being returned by the Governor.

The apex court posted the Tamil Nadu government's plea for reconsideration on December 11.

According to PTI, the bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions made by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, that the governor has now remanded the readopted Bills for consideration by the President.

"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 and let them sit down and discuss it," the bench said, as quoted by PTI.

The bench referred to Article 200 of the Constitution and said the governor cannot send the bills to the President after they were readopted by the legislative assembly upon getting them back from the office of the governor earlier.

This comes after the Supreme Court earlier questioned the delay on the part of Governor Ravi in granting assent to several Bills passed by the state Assembly. It had asked why should governors wait for parties to move the top court with their grievances. It asked what the governor doing for three years, noting that the Bills have been pending since January 2020.

Notably, a similar situation has been there in Kerala as well, and the top court last month issued notice to the Centre and the office of the Kerala Governor over the 'delay' by the Governor in giving assent to the bills passed by the Kerala assembly.