Kerala Governor Comes Under Fire For Remarks Against Supreme Court's R.N. Ravi Verdict
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have both criticised Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for his remarks against the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the powers of governors to withhold state legislation.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Arlekar described the court’s ruling as judicial “overreach” and suggested that the issue ought to have been placed before a constitution bench. The verdict, which arose from Tamil Nadu governor R.N. Ravi's reluctance to give his assent to 10 Bills that had been passed by the state assembly, made it clear that governors cannot indefinitely delay their assent to bills passed by state legislatures.
As reported by the Indian Express, CPI(M) politburo member M.A. Baby said the governor’s response was out of line with constitutional principles. “His criticism of the SC verdict was undesirable,” he said, adding that the president does not delay or sit on Bills passed by parliament. “So, how can governors have an authority which the President does not have?” he asked.
“All governors should be able to recognise and accept the spirit of the SC verdict,” Baby said.
Criticising the governor, Baby said, “All governors should be able to recognise and accept the spirit of the SC verdict”.
AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal accused Arlekar of exhibiting double standards by “glorifying” Parliament’s law-making powers while disregarding the authority of state legislatures.
Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using governors to control elected governments through the back door, Venugopal, who is also a Congress MP from Kerala, stated, “It is unfortunate that the Kerala Governor has come forward against the Supreme Court verdict”.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala noted that state assemblies, like parliament, have the mandate to pass laws, and governors cannot sit indefinitely on such bills. “If the governor can withhold any bill indefinitely, then what is the relevance of the assembly?” he asked, according to The New Indian Express. “A legislative assembly is elected through the will of the people. Governors are appointed as state heads by the Union government. They should reflect the will of the assembly.”
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam urged Arlekar to respect the Constitution rather than act on political considerations, and called for healthier relations between the Union government and states.
As New Indian Express noted, the governor’s remarks have also come as a setback to the LDF government’s hopes of a more cooperative relationship with Arlekar, following a period of sharp friction with his predecessor, Arif Mohammed Khan.
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