New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to 10 key bills was “illegal” and “arbitrary.” The Court stated that it was improper for the Governor to reserve these bills for the President after withholding assent.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan found that the Governor’s actions were contrary to constitutional provisions. The Court declared, “The action of the Governor to reserve the 10 bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary. Thus, the action is set aside.”
The ruling means that the bills should be considered cleared from the date they were re-presented to the Governor. The Court also emphasized that the Governor should have granted assent to the bills when they were resubmitted by the state assembly.
Citing constitutional guidelines, the Court explained that the Governor has the discretion to either assent to a bill, withhold assent, or reserve it for the President’s consideration. However, if the assembly re-sends a bill after reconsideration, the Governor is obligated to give assent unless the bill contradicts the Constitution or concerns matters of national importance.
The Court concluded that the Governor’s decision in this instance was unjustified.
Following the judgment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, leader of the ruling DMK, expressed his support, calling the ruling a historic victory. “We thank and welcome today’s historic judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, reaffirming the legislative rights of State Legislatures,” Stalin posted on X.
We thank and welcome today’s historic judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, reaffirming the legislative rights of State Legislatures and putting an end to the trend of Union government-nominated Governors stalling progressive legislative reforms in Opposition-ruled states.
This… pic.twitter.com/6QoEOY4t2Q
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) April 8, 2025
He also criticized the Union government-nominated Governors for stalling progressive reforms in opposition-led states and hailed the decision as a significant step toward restoring balance in Union-State relations.
The ruling DMK had previously accused Governor RN Ravi, a former IPS officer, of blocking bills and acting in alignment with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
