A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud criticised the governors of Punjab and Tamil Nadu for allegedly delaying action on bills approved by the state assemblies. The court urged the governors to promptly address the bills that have been cleared by the elected assembly.
According to NDTV, the Chief Justice on Friday (10 November) expressed his strong concern and urged not to obstruct the progress of bills that have been approved by a duly elected assembly.
"You're playing with fire. How can the governor say this? We are not happy with what is happening in Punjab. Will we continue to be a parliamentary democracy?" the bench added while emphasising that India has been running on established traditions and conventions and they need to be followed.
The Punjab government had filed a complaint with the Supreme Court, claiming that Governor Banwarilal Purohit was taking too long to give his approval to bills that had been passed by the state assembly.
The plea argues that the governor's inaction on seven bills, including those pertaining to fiscal management and education, has caused the entire administration to come to a standstill.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the Punjab government, highlighted that these bills were sent for the governor's approval in July and his failure to act has had a negative impact on governance.
The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has been instructed by the court to provide the details of the actions taken by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on the bills passed by the assembly.
The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has been engaged in a prolonged dispute with the Punjab governor.
The Tamil Nadu government has also requested the intervention of the Supreme Court, claiming that the Governor is deliberately delaying the clearance of bills and undermining the will of the people.
There has been ongoing conflict between the DMK government and the Tamil Nadu governor, with disagreements arising over pending bills, Chief Minister MK Stalin's foreign trips, the Dravidian model of governance, and the governor's remarks regarding the state's name.
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