New Delhi, 11 Sept

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a presidential reference asking whether constitutional courts can set timelines for governors and the President to assent to bills passed by state legislatures.

A Constitution bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai, after 10 days of hearings, reserved the matter following submissions from Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

The reference came after the apex court’s 8 April ruling that fixed timelines for governors to act on bills, amid a standoff between the Tamil Nadu government and Governor RN Ravi.

While opposition-ruled states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Punjab, opposed the reference, several BJP-ruled states defended the autonomy of governors and the President under Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution.

President Droupadi Murmu, invoking Article 143(1), had posed 14 questions to the top court in May on whether timelines could be judicially mandated for governors and the President in granting assent to bills.