The constitutional standoff between Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin reached a new flashpoint on Tuesday when the state government filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking a direction that the Governor assent to three key bills passed by the state legislature over 18 months ago, including a bill seeking OBC sub-categorisation and a bill amending university appointment procedures. The state argued that the Governor indefinite withholding of assent is unconstitutional and amounts to a pocket veto not permitted by the Constitution.
Governor Ravi, who has had a turbulent relationship with the DMK government since his appointment, issued a statement saying he had referred the bills to the President for constitutional examination as is his prerogative. CM Stalin, addressing the assembly, called the Governor conduct a deliberate attempt to subvert a democratically elected government and an interference in Tamil Nadu autonomy. The case is seen as a test case for the boundaries of gubernatorial discretion in India federal system, with implications for similar standoffs in opposition-ruled states including Kerala and Telangana where governors have also been withholding assent to legislation.
