Tamil Nadu CM Stalin moves resolution in Assembly to reconsider bills for which Governor Ravi withheld assent

Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin moved a resolution in the Assembly for reconsidering and passing the 10 Bills for which Governor R.N. Ravi had withheld assent for. The House is debating the issue.

Of the 10, two Bills were passed by the 15th Assembly during the AIADMK regime and eight by the 16th Assembly and were immediately sent to the Governor for his assent.

Mr Stalin alleged that the Governor was working against the interests of the State and could not stomach its all-round development.

“The Governor has kept the Bills for a long time and on November 13, 2023, without giving any reasons returned the Bills, mentioning ‘I withhold Assent’. The Assembly feels that withholding the assent and returning them without giving any reason is not acceptable,” said the Chief Minister in the special session of the Assembly.

Under provision of Article 200 of the Constitution, when the Assembly adopts a same Bill again, the Governor is bound to give assent. Mr Stalin said the Bills could be reconsidered under 143 of the Assembly rules.

As per rule 143, when a Bill which has been passed by the Assembly is returned by the Governor to the Assembly for reconsideration the point or points referred for reconsideration or the amendments recommended by the Governor shall be put before the Assembly by the Speaker and shall be discussed and voted upon in the same manner as amendments to a Bill, or in such other manner as the Speaker may consider most convenient for their consideration by the Assembly.

Most of the Bills for which the Governor had withheld assent are related to a proposal to amend the statutes of certain State universities to enable the Chief Minister to take over the role of the Chancellor, replacing the Governor.