Fri Apr 11 19:54:56 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Condemns Tamil Nadu Governor’s Delay on Bills, Declares Them Passed

**NEW DELHI, April 12, 2025** – In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India has declared Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s prolonged delay and eventual withholding of assent for ten state bills as “erroneous in law and non-est.” The court, in a judgment published late Friday, April 11th, deemed the Governor’s actions, including subsequent steps taken by President Droupadi Murmu, invalid.

The justices cited the Governor’s “unduly long” delay in processing the bills, his ultimate refusal to grant assent, and his disregard for prior Supreme Court judgments as evidence of “other extraneous considerations” influencing his decision. The court asserted that the Governor’s actions demonstrated a lack of adherence to the advice of the State’s Council of Ministers.

The judgment, delivered on April 8th but published only recently, exercised the court’s inherent powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to deem the ten bills passed on November 18th, 2023, the date they were presented to the Governor after being reconsidered by the State legislature.

The Supreme Court clarified that a Governor can only reserve a bill for the President’s consideration based on demonstrable peril to democratic principles, with clearly stated reasons. The court emphasized that personal dissatisfaction, political expediency, or other extraneous factors are strictly impermissible. State governments can challenge such reservations if the Governor fails to provide sufficient justification or if the reasons given are deemed irrelevant, mala fide, arbitrary, or politically motivated. The court also noted that states can seek judicial intervention if a Governor delays a bill for more than three months without adequate explanation.

The ruling underscores the Supreme Court’s commitment to upholding constitutional values and cautions against the influence of political considerations in the discharge of constitutional duties. The judgment quotes Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, emphasizing the importance of individuals in upholding the Constitution’s integrity. The court’s decision sets a significant precedent for the relationship between state governments and governors.

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