“Read Every Line”: P Chidambaram Jabs TN Governor Referring “Playing With Fire” Warning By Supreme Court

The senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament P Chidambaram on Friday criticized the Governor’s of the country, and in particular the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, referring the recent Supreme Court warning to the Punjab Governor. The top court slammed the Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit for not assenting bills that were already cleared by the elected assembly of the state.

The Congress leader took to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle and said that the Supreme Court’s remark on the Governor’s powers “is a stern rebuke to not only the Governor of Punjab but to all Governors”. The top court on November 10 produced a judgement that the governor has no power to nullify a session called by the speaker of the assembly. The court also denounced the Punjab governor’s act of not signing the bills passed by the elected members of the state.

P Chidambaram’s remarks, in reference to the Punjab governor came after the Tamil Nadu government RN Ravi returned 10 Bills passed by the State Assembly without signing. The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday met for a special sitting and re-adopted all of them, even as Chief Minister M K Stalin slammed the governor for withholding the Bills due to his “whims and fancies”, reported the New Indian Express.

The judgement of the Supreme Court on the Governor”s powers is a stern rebuke to not only the Governor of Punjab but to all Governors

Mr R N Ravi, Governor of TN, should read every line of the judgement and, if he thinks it necessary, call a competent senior advocate to explain…

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) November 24, 2023

“Mr R N Ravi, Governor of TN, should read every line of the judgement and, if he thinks it necessary, call a competent senior advocate to explain the judgement to him”, wrote the Congress MP on X. The Supreme Court in its recent judgement directed Banwarilal Purohit to decide on the Bills passed by the legislative assembly during its “constitutionally valid” session held on June 19 and 20. The court then added that the governor’s power cannot be used to “thwart the normal course of lawmaking”.

“How can you say that bill which has been passed cannot be assented to because session is invalid? You realise the gravity of what you’re doing? You (Governor) are playing with fire”, ruled the Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud then. The court was responding to a petition filed by the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of Punjab against the delay by Mr Purohit to grant his assent to four Bills passed by the legislative assembly in June.