Hours before Assembly session, Punjab Guv withholds approval to GST Bills, threatens to go to President

Shooting a fresh letter to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Governor Banwarilal Purohit asked the Punjab government to take the legal recourse.

banwarilal purohit punjab governor gst bills

This is the second time that Purohit has threatened of complaining to the President. (Express file photo by Rana Simranjit Singh)

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Hours before the Punjab government is slated to hold a two-day Vidhan Sabha session to ratify Centre’s GST Laws, Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday not only withheld his approval to these Bills but also threatened that he would be forced to complain to President of India if the government goes ahead with the “patently illegal” session.

This is the second time that Purohit has threatened of complaining to the President. Earlier, he had threatened President’s rule on the state citing constitutional crisis.

Shooting a fresh letter to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Purohit asked the government to take the legal recourse. The government has, however, decided to go ahead with the session. Sources said that the CM may the matter up with the Centre mentioning that the Governor was withholding Bills.

Meanwhile, Purohit added that besides the GST Bills, including The Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, he was also withholding The Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023. All three are money Bills and were to be tabled in Vidhan Sabha on Saturday.

Money Bills are sent to the Governor for his prior approval. Rules state that these can only be tabled if the Governor gives his prior approval and so the government had sent these Bills to the Governor two days ago. The Punjab Raj Bhawan had written to the Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday putting objections that why were the Bills being tabled with such delay and why the government had not affixed minutes of the GST council with the Bills. The government replied to the Governor on Thursday enclosing the minutes of the meeting and with an explanation about the delay that such delays do happen.

The Letter

The Governor in his letter, stated that he had “already indicated vide letter dated 24th July, 2023 and the letter dated 12th October 2023 that the calling of such a session was patently illegal, against the accepted procedures and practice of the Legislature, and against the provisions of the Constitution. As the Budget Session stood concluded, any such extended session is bound to be illegal, and any business conducted during such sessions is likely to be unlawful, and ab-initio void. Inspite of these communications, disregarding the possibility of taking an unconstitutional step, it appears that a decision has been taken to call the session. For these reasons I withhold my approval to the above mentioned Bills. I have to point out that instead of continuing on this precarious course you may avail of a legally correct alternative of calling a fresh Monsoon/Winter session. I strongly suggest you take recourse to this. If it is the desire of the Government to hold an Assembly session, it would be proper and fitting to draw up and forward an Agenda or programme setting out the specific business to be conducted including the Bills to be passed, with a request that a Monsoon/Winter Session be summoned to transact the said business. Once this is done, permission would be granted for the same. In the event of the persistence of the Government to continue with the patently illegal session, would be compelled to consider an appropriate course of action including to report the matter to the President of India.”

Kanchan Vasdev

Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government: 1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs "Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA. "Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor. "Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas. 2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls "Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections. "AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections. "Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership. 3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy "Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government. "Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP. 4. Welfare & Economy "Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program. "Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025). Signature Beat Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens. X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More

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