Raj Bhavan, Tamil Nadu, refuted allegations of delay in granting assent to Assembly Bills, calling them “unfounded and factually incorrect.” It said 81% of Bills received till October 31, 2025, have been assented to, 95% of them within three months, while 13% have been reserved for the President’s consideration, mostly on the state government’s recommendation. The remaining Bills are under consideration.
The clarification came in the aftermath of the Supreme Court landmark ruling in April that slammed Raj Bhavan for the delay in disposing of Bills, including examples where they were “incorrectly” referred to the President.
The Court had laid down deadlines for the Governor to grant assent, return Bills, or refer them to the President, and also set a three-month timeline for the President to decide on bills placed before her. The apex court, invoking its constitutional authority, declared ten bills earlier reserved by the Governor of Tamil Nadu as deemed to have received assent.
The top court had observed in the ruling that Governors cannot indefinitely delay action on bills, as this is a form of “pocket veto”.
Governors are required to act on the advice of the state’s council of ministers — they cannot take decisions on their own, said the apex court ruling.
If a Governor delays action or does nothing, it goes against the Constitution and harms India’s federal system by blocking the work of elected governments, stated the ruling.
Such inaction can be challenged in court, and the Governor must explain any delay beyond the allowed time, the ruling said.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on this issue has encouraged other opposition-ruled states to raise similar complaints about Governors blocking government work.
The issue of governors’ delays in assenting to bills came up after the opposition had alleged that the BJP-led central government of using governors in non-BJP-ruled states as a way to create turmoil with the governments, be it in Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab or Tamil Nadu by delaying the passage of bills.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had criticised that the Centre was running a “parallel government” through governors, adding that it was not “just against federal principles but also against the Indian Constitution. India is now witnessing cheap politics by governors, who are unfit to hold such high posts.”
Last year, the apex court had considered West Bengal and Kerala governments, both entangled in political conflicts with their respective governors over delayed assent to bills.