Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopts 10 bills returned by Raj Bhavan, Stalin tears into Governor Ravi

The Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopted 10 Bills covering different departments, including law, agriculture and higher education, that were recently returned by Governor RN Ravi, after a special session was convened on Saturday.

The Opposition parties AIADMK and BJP staged separate walk-outs.

"Today, BJP walked out of the Assembly opposing the government resolution of criticising the honourable Governor and sending back the bills that has been passed earlier by this Assembly. We believe in federalism, we believe that the honourable Governor is discharging his Constitutional obligations," BJP MLA Vanathi said after the walk-out.


Chief Minister M K Stalin had moved the resolution early in the day to look at reconsideration of the 10 bills passed earlier by the House and returned by Governor Ravi. He said that the Governor had returned the Bills without giving any reasons.

The Bills in question refer to two bills each that were adopted by the House in 2020 and 2023 and six others that were passed last year.

"This House resolves that under rule 143 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly rules the following Bills may be reconsidered by this Assembly," the resolution moved by Stalin said.

He added that under the provision to Article 200 of the Constitution of India if Bills are passed again and presented to the Governor for assent, he "shall not withhold assent therefrom."

Stalin said the Governor was "insulting" the state Assembly and its people while addressing the House.

"The Governor has not approved the bills passed in the state assembly," he said. "This is a government elected by the people. It is the duty of the Governor to approve bills. If he had any doubt about it he would have asked but not giving assent and returning the bills shows that the Governor is insulting this Assembly and the people."

He alleged that Ravi was blocking the government's initiatives by withholding assent without providing any reasons. "He returned the bills due to his personal whims and fancies...it is undemocratic and anti-people to not give assent," Stalin said.

Stalin also went on to say that the non-BJP ruled states were being targeted by the Centre through Governors.