CHENNAI: Speaker M Appavu announced Thursday that a special session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on Saturday to readopt the Bills returned by Governor RN Ravi.
Reacting to the development, AIADMK organising secretary D Jayakumar said the party high command would take a decision on whether to take part in this special session.
Significantly, the Governor has returned around 10 Bills that were pending his assent for a long time after the Tamil Nadu government filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a deadline for him to decide on the Bills passed by the Assembly.
Talking to reporters in Thiruvannamalai, the Assembly Speaker said the Bills returned by the Governor would be re-adopted without any changes.
When a scribe asked whether the special session would discuss the observations made by the Supreme Court about the Governor and the advice given to the DMK government, the Speaker said, "During the Assembly session, there would not be any discussion on the Governor, President, or the Judiciary. Now, the Governor has returned certain Bills and the government wants them to be readopted. "
Responding to another question, the Speaker said that when a Bill is adopted for the second time by the State Assembly, the Governor has to give his assent and that this is the Constitutional position.
The Governor has already returned the Bills relating to banning online rummy and dispensing with medical entrance (undergraduate) NEET test.
However, the Governor gave his assent when the online rummy bill was readopted. He also forwarded the anti-NEET Bill to the President.
The number of bills returned to the government by Governor Ravi is not clear. At least 12 bills were pending besides, 4 official orders and a file related to the premature release of 54 prisoners.
The Assembly had been adjourned sine die in October.
The apex court on November 10 had termed as a "matter of serious concern" the alleged delay by Governor Ravi in giving assent to bills passed by the Assembly.
It sought the Centre's response to the state government's petition accusing the Raj Bhavan of "sitting over" 12 bills.
In the past, special sessions of the Assembly were convened on many occasions.
In 2011, a special session of the Assembly was convened to pass a resolution regarding the Mullaperiyar Dam issue.
In 2013, a special session was convened to decide on the boycott of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka.
In 2017 and 2018, special sessions of the House were held for the Jallikattu issue and Mekedatu dam issue.
Last year, a special session was held to adopt a resolution seeking exemption from NEET.