West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s recent opinion that courts cannot prescribe timelines for the President or Governors to grant assent to Bills passed by State legislatures, describing the advisory as a reaffirmation of the Constitution’s core principle of separation of powers.
The Governor said the judgment had “reinforced the Lakshman rekhas” demarcating the respective constitutional domains of the executive, legislature and judiciary. “It has given the message that the Supreme Court of India upholds the separation of powers, as enshrined in the Constitution of India,” Bose said. “This does not mean that the Governors can sit idle on the files. The elected chief minister is certainly the face of the government, not the nominated Governor.” The Governor underlined that the advisory opinion, delivered by a five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, clarified both the powers and the responsibilities of Raj Bhavans across the country.
“The judgment sends a clear signal on the respective roles of the Governor and the chief minister. The Constitution has drawn Lakshman rekhas for each position. Don’t cross the line; be together and work together – that is the message that has come from this Supreme Court judgment,” he added. On Thursday, the Bench had answered 13 questions referred to it by President Droupadi Murmu, under Article 143 of the Constitution, including whether courts could fix deadlines for Governors and the President to act on State Bills.
The court held that no such timelines can be judicially imposed. At the same time, it stressed that Governors cannot indefinitely hold back Bills and must engage constructively with State legislatures if they have reservations. The Bench reiterated its earlier 8 April observations that while Governors may return a Bill once for reconsideration, they do not enjoy the power to veto a Bill if the legislature sends it back in the same form. Reacting to the ruling, Bose termed it a “landmark” for federal governance.
“The landmark judgment by the Supreme Court has cleared the jurisdiction of the Government vis-à-vis the elected Chief Minister. The Court has unequivocally declared that the Governor is not a rubber stamp,” he said. Political reactions also poured in. On the occasion of World Heritage Week, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose today visited several historic sites along the Hooghly River aboard a launch, themed “Our Village, Our Governor – Jal Taranga.” He interacted with local residents during the journey. The Governor began his trip from Babughat Police Ghat, travelled through Nazirgunge, Sankrail and Baje Baj, before finally returning to Babughat.