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Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu governor to meet CM MK Stalin, 'resolve impasse'
The bench -- comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra -- will hear the matter again on December 11.
Chennai: A governor cannot send bills to the President of India after they are re-adopted by the state's assembly after being returned by the former, the Supreme Court on Friday observed while hearing a matter linked to the Tamil Nadu bills row. The apex court also asked the Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi to meet with chief minister MK Stalin and resolve the impasse.
The bench -- comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra -- will hear the matter next on December 11.
"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 invites the chief minister; let them sit down and discuss it," the bench said.
"We are conscious of the fact that we are dealing with high constitutional functionaries,” it added.
Earlier this month, the governor returned 10 out of 12 bills -- cleared by the Tamil Nadu assembly -- which were pending before his office since 2020. He, however, didn't cite any reasons for dismissing the bills.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker later called a special assembly session where the bills were readopted. The Opposition MLAs staged a walkout during the session.
The governor's action had come days after the Supreme Court sought a reply from the Central government on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government against his delay in processing the 12 bills. It had also said why should governors wait for parties to move the court with their grievances.
Also read: Tamil Nadu assembly readopts 10 bills returned by governor amid Oppn walkout
Referring to Article 200 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court today said the governor can't send readopted bills to the President.
MK Stalin's government and the governor have come face-to-face over a host of issues lately, including the pending bills.
Also read: Governors can’t sit on bill to thwart process of lawmaking, says SC
On October 31, Tamil Nadu chief secretary Shiv Das Meena accused Ravi of "toying away with the citizen's mandate", in a petition filed in the Supreme Court.
With inputs from PTI
