The Supreme Court has given a big victory to the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government by declaring that Governor RN Ravi’s decision to block 10 important Bills was illegal and unfair. The court said the Governor had no right to send the Bills to the President after refusing to approve them. It also noted that the Governor did not act in good faith. 

The judges ruled that the Bills would be considered approved from the date they were sent to the Governor again. Reacting to the decision, Chief Minister MK Stalin called it a historic moment and said it was not just a win for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian states. He added that the DMK will continue to fight for greater powers and rights for the states within India’s federal system.

The Supreme Court said that the Governor should have approved the Bills when they were sent to him again after being passed once more by the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

As per Article 200 of the Constitution, when a Bill passed by a state legislature is sent to the Governor, he has a few options:

1.He can approve the Bill.

2.He can withhold his approval.

3.He can send the Bill to the President for consideration.

4.He can also return the Bill to the Assembly for reconsideration.

However, if the Assembly passes the Bill again after reconsideration, the Governor must give his approval and cannot block it. A Governor can only send a Bill to the President if he believes it goes against the Constitution, the directive principles of state policy, or if it involves a matter of national importance.

The Supreme Court has now set clear deadlines for Governors when dealing with Bills passed by a state Assembly. If the Governor wants to withhold assent and send the Bill to the President, he must do so within one month, but only after consulting the Council of Ministers. If he decides to act without their advice, he has three months. If the Assembly sends the Bill back to the Governor after reconsideration, he must approve it within a month. The court said that if these timelines are not followed, the Governor’s actions can be reviewed by the court.

The court made it clear that it’s not reducing the Governor’s powers but said that all of the Governor’s decisions must support the idea of parliamentary democracy.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, a former IPS and CBI officer, has had a tense relationship with the MK Stalin-led DMK government since he took office in 2021. The state government has accused him of acting like a BJP representative and blocking important Bills and appointments. The Governor, in turn, said he has the right under the Constitution to withhold approval.

There have also been clashes during the Governor’s speeches in the Assembly. In 2023, he refused to read parts of the speech that mentioned BR Ambedkar, Periyar, CN Annadurai, the term “Dravidian Model,” and law and order issues. In another instance, he walked out of the Assembly because the National Anthem wasn’t played at the beginning, only at the end, as per tradition. The previous year, he even skipped giving the customary address, calling it misleading.