The Telangana Government's plea seeking the clearance of ten bills by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has been resolved, as all the pending bills have been assented to by the Governor. The Supreme Court, comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, disposed of the matter, stating that bills should be returned "as soon as possible" to give effect to the first proviso of Article 200 of the Indian Constitution. Although the court expressed its inclination to dispose of the matter due to the bills' assent, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave urged the court to provide definitive directions to settle the issue. He stated that the elected government was at the governor's mercy and asked the court to decide the matter once and for all. Dave cited examples from other states, such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, where bills were being assented to within a week and a month, respectively. He alleged that Telangana was an opposition state, and this was why it faced delays.
During a hearing at the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave urged the court to pass definitive directions regarding the clearance of bills by governors. However, Solicitor General Mehta intervened, stating that the matter should not be generalized. Dave responded by accusing Mehta of being biased due to his appointment by the central government. This led to a heated exchange between the two, with Dave stating that Mehta had stooped low in his conduct. Despite this, the bench decided to dispose of the matter while leaving the question of law open. The bench emphasized the importance of the first proviso to Article 200, which mandates that the governor should return bills "as soon as possible" after their presentation for assent. The bench noted that this expression had significant constitutional intent and should be taken into account.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Mehta objected to the court's observation regarding the importance of returning bills "as soon as possible." However, the Chief Justice clarified that the court's comment was not directed at any specific governor and was merely a general observation. The petition, filed by the K. Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government, had accused the governor of delaying the clearance of bills. However, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had denied the allegations, stating that she was closely analyzing the bills.
TAGS: Supreme Court Telangana Government Governor bills assent plea Senior Advocate Solicitor General Article 200 constitutional intent.
