The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday, in a Special Session, again passed 10 Bills for which Governor R.N. Ravi had earlier withheld assent.
Earlier, the Assembly adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to reconsider and pass the Bills.
The main Opposition AIADMK and the BJP staged a walkout and were not in the House when the resolution was taken up for voting.
Of the 10 Bills, two were passed by the 15th Assembly during the AIADMK regime, and eight were under the current Assembly and immediately sent to the Governor for his assent.
Most of the Bills which failed to get the Governor’s assent are related to amendments in the laws of universities to empower the State government instead of Governor, who is the Chancellor, to appoint Vice-Chancellors.
“The Governor has kept the Bills for a long time and on November 13, 2023, without giving reasons, returned the Bills, mentioning ‘I withhold assent’. The Assembly feels that withholding assent and returning them without giving reasons is not acceptable,” said the Chief Minister.
In the Constitution
Article 200 of the Constitution says the Governor is bound to give assent when a Bill returned by the Governor for reconsideration is adopted again by the Assembly.
The Chief Minister said the Bills could be reconsidered under Rule 143 of the Tamil Nadu Assembly. As per Rule 143, when a Bill which has been passed by the Assembly is returned by the Governor to the Assembly for reconsideration, the point or points referred for reconsideration or the amendments recommended by the Governor shall be put before the Assembly by the Speaker and shall be discussed and voted upon in the same manner as amendments to a Bill, or in such other manner as the Speaker may consider most convenient for their consideration by the Assembly.
