Kolkata: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench judgment that struck down timelines and the concept of “deemed assent” for gubernatorial approval of bills, calling it a landmark clarification of the Governor’s constitutional authority.
Reacting hours after the verdict, Bose said the ruling reaffirmed that a Governor is “not a rubber stamp” and validated the dialogue-based practice followed by Raj Bhavan over the past three years.
The Supreme Court held that its earlier directions fixing timelines for Governors and the President to grant assent were unconstitutional and violated separation of powers. It ruled that the authority to decide on assent under Articles 200 and 201 cannot be supplanted by judicially created deadlines or presumptions. The only exception, the Bench said, is when courts intervene in cases of unexplained and inordinate delay.
In his reaction, Bose said the judgment “cleared the air” regarding the respective jurisdictions of the Governor and the elected Chief Minister. He said the current process of seeking clarifications from the state government before taking a decision on pending bills had now received the Supreme Court’s endorsement.
According to him, four files are presently with the West Bengal government for clarification, after which he will take a decision on assent. Other files have been referred to the President due to their national implications, and three are sub judice.
Stating that “good fences make good neighbours”, Bose said the Constitution has drawn a “Lakshman Rekha” for both the Governor and the Chief Minister. He described the judgment as “a stitch in time saves nine”, asserting that the court’s message would strengthen constitutional propriety across India.