Can governors withhold bills? Supreme Court to consider framing norms

NEW DELHI: A week after agreeing to test the validity of blanket constitutional immunity from criminal prosecution to governors , Supreme Court Friday said it would consider framing guidelines for governors in withholding assent to bills passed by the legislature or referring them to the President.

Opposition-governed Kerala and West Bengal Friday joined Telangana and Tamil Nadu in accusing governors of whimsically exercising their powers regarding bills. Senior advocates K K Venugopal, A M Singhvi and Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Kerala and West Bengal, argued that it had become a trend with governors to delay assent to bills passed by the assembly and reserve them for the President's consideration.

A bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued notices to the home ministry and the secretaries of governors for a comprehensive interpretation of relevant constitutional provisions relating to the powers of governors regarding bills.