"Why Is Governor Sitting On Bills For Two Years?": Supreme Court Criticises Arif Mohammed Khan On Kerala Govt's Plea

After asking Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to read judgment of a similar case related to Punjab, the Supreme Court came down heavily on him on Wednesday (29 November).

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud noted, "No reason has been given by the governor to keep the bills pending. As we have observed in Punjab Judgement, the power of the governor cannot be utilised to pause law-making exercise of the legislature."

The CJI questioned, "Why is the governor sitting on bills for two years?" and said that it is a matter of accountability. He then asked the Chief Minister and the Governor to resolve the issue, otherwise the court would lay guidelines, LiveLaw reported.

Former Attorney General KK Venugopal stated that the Kerala Governor forwarded seven out of the eight bills to the President, despite them not conflicting with any central law. Additionally, he highlighted the submission of eight new bills to the Governor for his approval.