Row over Bills: Supreme Court asks TN Guv to meet CM to resolve impasse

The Supreme Court on Friday asked Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi to hold a meeting with Prime Minister MK Stalin to resolve the deadlock over non-approval of bills passed by him by the state legislative assembly.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state government, that the Governor has now sent back the re-enacted 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 will invite the Chief Minister and make them sit down and discuss it,” the bench said and fixed December 11 as the date to hear the plea.

“We are aware that we are dealing with senior constitutional officials,” the report said.

Referring to Article 200 of the Constitution, the bench said the Governor cannot send the bills to the President after they have been re-passed by the Legislative Assembly after earlier withdrawing them from the Governor's office.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had questioned Ravi's delay in giving assent to several bills passed by the State Assembly, asking why governors had to wait for parties to take their grievances to the Supreme Court.

It asked tough questions and asked what the governor has done over the past three years, noting that the bills have been pending since January 2020.

The top court was hearing the Tamil Nadu government's plea alleging that Governor Ravi had delayed in giving assent to the bills.