'Constitution Cannot Be Tampered With': Centre Opposes SC's Timeline For President, Governors To Clear Bills

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-08-16 09:38:56 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-16 20:04:59

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The Centre has told the Supreme Court that laying down timelines for the President and Governors to clear pending bills would amount to tampering with the Constitution, making it a controversial submission in a case that could potentially alter the balance of power between the legislature and the executive.

In a submission filed late Tuesday, the Centre said the Supreme Court's proposed timeline of three months for the President to clear a bill and one month for Governors to either clear a bill or send it back to the state legislature would interfere with the Article 123 of the Constitution. The article provides the President the power to withhold a bill in case it violates any law or if there is a clash of interest with matters already pending before a court.

The Centre's statement could prove to be controversial as it is an admission that the government is itself rarely, if ever, respecting the existing timelines laid out in the Constitution for the disposal of bills. While the President is supposed to clear a bill within a month, Governors, theoretically, have up to two months to clear a bill or send it back to the state legislature.

The submission comes in response to a Supreme Court order in April that prescribed the three-month timeline for the President and the one-month window for Governors to decide on pending bills. The order was delivered while hearing a petition filed by Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Ajay Rai, who argued that Governor Lalji Tandon's repeated rejection of non-finance bills at the last minute showed a pattern of interference in the workings of the state legislature.

The Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response while asking the petitioner to file a rejoinder, indicating that a verdict is some time away.

Stay tuned as we continue to follow this developing story, and provide updates as new information is made available.

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