Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday celebrated what he called a “historic” and “landmark” judgment by the Supreme Court, which criticised Governor R.N. Ravi for withholding assent on several bills passed by the State Assembly.
Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, CM Stalin said, “I would like to inform this House about good news. Our Tamil Nadu government has received a historic judgment. The Governor had returned various bills passed by this Assembly without giving assent. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Governor’s withholding of bills is illegal.”
Stalin hailed the verdict as a win not only for Tamil Nadu but for all states in India, emphasizing that it upholds the constitutional authority of elected state governments. “This judgment is a victory for all the State governments,” he declared.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment on the Tamil Nadu government’s plea against Governor Ravi’s delay, stated that the Governor’s actions were “illegal and erroneous in law.” The Court noted that ten bills had been reserved for the President’s assent after prolonged inaction by the Governor—some dating back to 2020—even after being re-enacted by the legislature.
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan observed that the Governor acted only after the Supreme Court’s recent verdict in a similar case involving the Punjab Governor. The judges reiterated that under Article 200 of the Constitution, a Governor must act based on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers and cannot exercise a “pocket veto” or an “absolute veto.”
The ruling has sparked reactions across India, reinforcing the debate on the role of Governors and the balance of power between the Centre and the states.