Kerala CM hails SC verdict against TN Guv, calls it 'victory for democracy'

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court verdict against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi over the reservation of bills, saying it upholds the federal structure and the democratic rights of the state Assembly.

Vijayan, whose government had earlier clashed with then-Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for withholding key bills, said the apex court has repeatedly made it clear that governors must act in accordance with the advice of the cabinet.

In a statement, Vijayan added that the judgment also sets a specific time frame for the passage of bills.

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Calling the verdict a warning against the tendency of governors to usurp the powers of the state legislature, the Chief Minister said it marks “a victory for democracy”.

“We have been faced with a situation where bills passed by the Legislative Assembly have been held up and left in limbo for up to 23 months,” he said.

Kerala is already engaged in a legal battle against such tendencies, and the present verdict highlights the significance of the issues raised by the state, Vijayan added.

Further, in a social media post, he said the SC verdict “is a historic reaffirmation of federal principles and democratic values.”

” It upholds the supremacy of elected legislatures, sets strict timelines, and sends a strong message against Governors’ political interventions to obstruct the will of the people. A resounding vindication of Kerala’s stand and ongoing legal battle to protect democratic rights and the dignity of the legislature,” he said.

Responding to Vijayan, his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin said, “this is just the beginning.”

“As we discussed at the CPIM 24th Party Conference, recently held in Madurai, this verdict marks the first step in defending states’ rights. But this is just the beginning. There is much more to be done in our continued fight for federalism and the will of the people,” Stalin said on ‘X.’

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court came down heavily on Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, stating that his decision to reserve 10 bills for the President’s consideration was against constitutional provisions.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said, “The action of the Governor to reserve the 10 bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary, and thus the action is set aside.”

Setting aside all his actions in this regard, the court added, “The 10 bills shall be deemed to have received assent from the date they were re-presented to the Governor.”

The court further observed that the Governor must be conscious not to create “roadblocks or a chokehold” on the state legislature to “thwart and break the will of the people.”

The bench observed, “The members of the state legislature, having been elected by the people as a result of democratic expression, are better attuned to ensuring the well-being of the people of the state.”

The court added that under Article 200 of the Constitution, the Governor does not possess any discretionary power and must mandatorily act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers.

Article 200 of the Constitution deals with the Governor’s assent to bills.

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