SC not to restrain Prez on TN Bills

NEW DELHI: Observing that the business of governance must go on, the Supreme Court Wednesday said it does not want to restrain the President of India from acting on the Bills readopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and forwarded to her by State Governor RN Ravi for consideration.

It also took note of the submissions of the counsel for the Tamil Nadu government and Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Governor, that Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor Ravi have agreed to meet, as asked by the apex court, to try and resolve the impasse over Bills not getting gubernatorial assent after their passage by the State legislature.

“Neither tea nor any stiffer beverage can solve this issue. This is purely a constitutional question which this court has to decide,” senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the DMK government, told the bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The key question is whether the Governor can refer Bills passed by the legislature and readopted by it for Presidential assent. During the brief hearing, Singhvi urged the Bench to pass an order to ensure that the President does not decide on the Bills until the issue has been decided.

“We don’t want to injunct the President. It doesn’t look good. If the Bills have already gone to the President, we can’t ask the President not to act,” the CJI said.