The CPI(M) and Congress parties in Kerala have criticized the state Governor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, for his comments against the recent Supreme Court ruling on how Governors should handle Bills passed by the Legislature.
In an interview, Arlekar was quoted saying that the Supreme Court’s decision to set a timeline for Governors to deal with the Bills was an “overreach by the judiciary.” He also mentioned that the issue should have been referred to a larger Constitution bench of the court rather than being decided by a division bench in the case of Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi.
Also See: Supreme Court Slams Tamil Nadu Governor for Withholding Bills – Says It’s Against the Law
CPI(M) leader M A Baby called Arlekar’s remarks “undesirable,” while Congress leader K C Venugopal called them “unfortunate.” Venugopal, speaking at a Congress event in Kozhikode, stated that Arlekar criticized the Supreme Court’s decision because he feared the BJP’s agenda would be exposed. He said, “It is unfortunate that the Kerala Governor has come forward against the Supreme Court verdict.”
Baby, speaking in Delhi, defended the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying it applied to everyone, including the President of India. He pointed out that the President does not delay Bills passed by Parliament, so Governors should not have the power to do so either. He asked, “If the President doesn’t delay bills, how can Governors have that authority?”
Baby further added that all Governors should respect the spirit of the Supreme Court’s decision. However, he said, the Kerala Governor’s comments show that he does not accept the ruling.
Venugopal also criticized Arlekar for “glorifying” Parliament’s law-making powers while showing no respect for the authority of the state Assembly. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using Governors to control elected state governments in a political manner. Venugopal praised the Supreme Court’s ruling as a “silver lining” against the influence of the Sangh Parivar. He said that the delay in giving assent to several state laws has been hurting democracy.
The main focus of this controversy is the Supreme Court’s decision about Governors handling the Bills passed by the Legislature.
