Undue delay by Governor in giving assent to Bills forced T.N. government to approach SC, says Appavu

While the Governors of BJP-ruled States were giving nod to the Bills passed by the respective Assemblies within the shortest possible time, the Tamil Nadu Governor did not give his assent for the Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly even after a couple of years, which forced the State to approach the Supreme Court to find legal remedy, Speaker M. Appavu said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said the Indian Constitution had made it clear that the Governors should give their assent to the Bills passed by the Assemblies “as soon as possible”. If the Assembly passed a Bill again after being rejected by the Governor in the first instance, he should give the assent without any delay. While this practice was in vogue in the BJP-ruled States, the Governors of Opposition-ruled States were sitting on the Bills for even 2 or 3 years.

“And, this delay forced the Tamil Nadu Government to approach the Supreme Court in search of legal remedy and the apex court had set deadline for the Governors and even for the President. This verdict had become the lighthouse for the entire country,” Mr. Appavu said.

The Speaker, while responding to a question pertaining to the stay given by the Madras High Court for amendments taking away the Governor’s powers in appointing Vice-Chancellors to the State universities after a case in this connection had already been disposed of by the Supreme Court, suspected that the case filed in the Madras High Court was a “pre-planned one” as the plaintiff from Tirunelveli had approached the court directly instead of first filing the case before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.

He also expressed “doubt” over the admission and hearing by a vacation bench of Madras High Court a Public Interest Litigation filed by a Tirunelveli-based advocate.

“Instead of approaching the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court first, the plaintiff from Tirunelveli has filed his PIL directly before the vacation bench of the Madras High Court, which has heard the case immediately to give its stay. So, it has raised various doubts among the public, especially among the legal fraternity,” he said.