 "TN Governor returns 10 bills to be discussed in special Assembly session")
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi returned 10 pending bills sent to him by the state government for his approval. This comes after the Supreme Court came down on the governor. The DMK government had approached the top court claiming that the Raj Bavan had been sitting on 12 bills passed by the Assembly, causing unnecessary delays.
Speaker M Appavu announced on Thursday that the state will discuss these bills in a special Assembly sitting on November 18. He stated that the purpose of the special meeting is to "get such bills adopted again immediately".
According to a report by NDTV, two of the 10 bills that have been returned were passed by the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government. Other bills include one that seeks to limit the governor's authority in appointing vice chancellors for state-run universities and another that seeks to prosecute ex-ministers from the AIADIMK.
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has accused the governor, appointed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of deliberately delaying the clearance of important bills, even those that required clearance within a specific time frame.
Earlier, Ravi had also returned the NEET Exemption Bill and forwarded it to the President of India after it was passed twice in the Assembly. The same had reportedly occurred with a bill looking to ban online gaming.
According to PTI, at least 12 bills, four official orders, and a file related to the premature release of 54 prisoners were pending. The total number of bills returned to the government by Governor Ravi is not clear. The Assembly had been adjourned sine die in October.
Other than Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab have also approached the top court with allegations against their respective state governors. The apex court termed this a "matter of serious concern" and sought a response from the central government over Tamil Nadu's accusation of Raj Bhavan "sitting over" 12 bills.