8 Bills awaiting Governor assent, Pinarayi govt mulls moving SC

Vijayan said the state government has sought the legal opinion of Senior Advocate Fali S Nariman on whether the Governor has the power to inordinately withhold Bills which the Assembly had passed after deliberations and now the Government wants to approach the Supreme Court raising this issue. The state would seek the service of Senior Advocate K K Venugopal in the apex court, he said. Vijayan said the delay in giving assent to the Bills, which reflect the aspirations of the people, is against the essence of parliamentary democracy.

Referring to the University Law Amendment Bill, which the Assembly had passed 22 months back, Vijayan said the delay in the Governor’s assent has put the appointment of V-Cs in a limbo. “The public health Bill 2021 is also pending with the Governor. Can anyone say that this approach is constitutionally right,” he said.

Most welcome: Gov

Reacting to the state move to approach the Supreme Court, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said: “I welcome. If they want to go anywhere and if they want to squander away the money of the state. They are most welcome. But don’t unwittingly become an instrument to build up an atmosphere of pressurising. I will not accept any pressure. There is no way. I will go by my discretion. If the government is exceeding its jurisdiction, I cannot be an accomplice to that,’’ he said.