"Discretion To Withhold Bills", Says Tamil Nadu Governor, MK Stalin Reacts

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi's comments that he had the discretion to withhold bills passed by the state legislature came under fire from the DMK government, which said that needlessly delaying approval amounted to "dereliction of duty" on the part of the Governor.

Responding to the Governor's comments, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said Ravi could not keep the bills in abeyance. "It is an act of ineffective paralysis. If pressure is mounted, the Governor will ask a question and send it back to the government and with this his duty is done," he said.

During his interaction with civil service aspirants for the 'Think to Dare' series at Raj Bhavan here Thursday, Ravi commented on the Assembly bills forwarded to him for presidential assent and said that "the Governor has three options: Give assent, withhold - meaning the bill is dead - which the Supreme Court and Constitution uses as decent language to mean reject, and third reserve the bill for the President. This is the Governor's discretion." Stalin said it was "unbecoming" of a person who holds a Constitutional position to "withhold without boldly accepting or opposing" the bills.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the Governor had made a habit of delaying the bills, ordinances and amendments conceived by the people's representatives, and sent to him for approval.

He accused the Governor of "failing" in his administrative duties, and "slipping away" from his responsibilities. There was no proper reason for his action nor a reply to the government. About 14 files have been withheld by him, so far, he added.