NEW DELHI: On a day when the Supreme Court reiterated its suggestion asking Chief Minister M K Stalin and Governor R N Ravi to have an open dialogue over the impasse in clearing bills, sources said the governor has extended an invitation to the CM to discuss all ‘outstanding issues’. The CM may meet the governor once the flood relief work is complete, sources said.
When a three-judge bench headed by CJI D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday restated its suggestion for a dialogue between the two constitutional authorities, the counsel for Tamil Nadu and Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the governor, said the CM and the governor have agreed to meet, as asked by the apex court, to try and resolve the issue.
Taking note of the submission, the bench posted the matter to third week of January for the next hearing. Making his submissions for Tamil Nadu, senior advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the issue is purely a constitutional one on whether the governor can reserve the bills for the consideration of President once they are passed again by the Assembly?
Business of governance must go on: SC
SINGHVI, during the brief hearing, urged the bench to pass an order to ensure that the President does not take a decision on the bills referred to her till the issue has been decided. “Let us not have perception that when we come next time, the President has passed or rejected the bills.
Let status quo be maintained,” the senior lawyer said. “We don’t want to injunct the President of India. It doesn’t look good. If the bills have already gone to the President, we can’t ask the President not to act,” the CJI said. The bench then asked the AG to look into the matter.
“We will do what we have to do in this matter but in the meantime why don’t they (Governor and the CM) meet? If there is some way out... there must be some channel open between the CM and the governor. At least let them start talking to each other. We will resolve the controversy.
The business of governance must go on,” the bench said. When Dr Singhvi, in a lighter vein, said that this is not an issue that can be solved through a tea or stiffer beverages, the CJI said, “We will keep it in January next year.
The CM is also willing to meet governor. Let it happen.” The SC, in its last hearing, had asked Governor RN Ravi to convene a meeting with Chief Minister MK Stalin and to resolve the issues over delay in assenting to bills passed by the Assembly. The suggestion came on a writ petition filed by the state government before SC.