NEW DELHI/CHENNAI, April 8 – India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that 10 Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly must be considered approved, rebuking the state’s Governor for years of inaction and delays in granting assent.
The judgment marks a landmark moment in the ongoing constitutional tug-of-war between elected state governments and centrally-appointed governors, with the apex court emphasizing that governors cannot indefinitely stall legislation passed by duly elected assemblies.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan said that once a Bill is passed again by the state assembly and re-submitted to the Governor, “the Governor shall not withhold assent.” The court also prescribed a timeframe of one to three months for governors to act on Bills presented to them.
Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK party, which has long accused Governor R.N. Ravi of political obstruction, hailed the ruling. “Democracy still lingers in India… justice delayed, but not denied,” Tamil Nadu IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan posted on social media following the verdict. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin called the judgment “historic,” saying it was a victory for all Indian states and a reaffirmation of federal principles.
The apex court intervened after months of confrontation between the Tamil Nadu government and the Governor over at least 10 Bills, some of which had been pending for years without assent or were referred to the President.
Among the contentious laws are those seeking to strip the Governor of the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors in state universities, transferring that authority to the state government. The Bills substitute the term “Governor” with “Government” in the relevant provisions.
The court’s ruling comes amid growing tensions in multiple Indian states over gubernatorial delays. Following the Tamil Nadu verdict, the state of Kerala urged the Chief Justice of India to list a similar petition against its Governor, who is accused of withholding assent to seven Bills for over 33 months.
Legal experts say the ruling reasserts the limited constitutional role of governors, who are appointed by the federal government but are expected to act on the advice of elected state cabinets.
Tamil Nadu Congress chief K. Selvaperunthagai said the decision “cracks the whip on the BJP’s attempts to dilute the Constitution,” while PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss praised the verdict for preventing governors from stalling laws “at their discretion.”
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, however, questioned Chief Minister Stalin’s selective respect for court rulings, pointing to his government’s opposition to the court-upheld NEET medical entrance exam. The ruling could have wider political implications ahead of general elections next year, as regional parties continue to challenge the central government’s perceived overreach into state affairs.
