The Supreme Court has ruled that the President must decide on bills reserved by governors within three months of receiving them. This is the first time the top court has fixed a specific timeline for such constitutional processes.

The decision came as the court struck down Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi’s move to re-reserve 10 bills for presidential consideration after they had already been passed again by the state assembly. The court called the act illegal and erroneous.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan laid down clear deadlines for both Governors and the President:

President must act within three months of receiving a bill. Any delay must be explained to the state.

Governors must:

Act on bills within one month.

If withholding assent against Cabinet advice, return the bill within three months.

If reserving for President against Cabinet advice, do so within three months.

If the bill is re-passed, grant assent within one month.

The court also ruled that inaction by governors is open to judicial review.

The court made it clear that neither the Governor nor the President can delay decisions indefinitely. There is no provision for a ‘pocket veto’ or ‘absolute veto’ under the Constitution.

It stressed that the Governor must act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers and cannot block the legislative process. Delays, the court said, obstruct democracy and the state’s ability to function.

Background: Tamil Nadu vs Governor

The case originated from a petition by the Tamil Nadu government, claiming the Governor delayed assent to 12 bills—one of them pending since 2020. After the Governor withheld assent to 10 bills in November 2023, the state re-enacted them in a special session. The Governor then reserved them for the President again, prompting the legal challenge.

Using its powers under Article 142, the court deemed the bills as assented to and ruled the second reservation invalid.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday clarified that K Annamalai is still the Tamil Nadu BJP president, quashing speculation about his removal ahead of the BJP’s renewed alliance with the AIADMK. Addressing the media at a press conference to announce the re-formed tie-up, Shah directly denied claims that Annamalai was ousted as a pre-condition for the alliance.

Asked whether AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami had demanded Annamalai’s removal to proceed with the alliance, Shah responded, “This is not true at all. Mr Annamalai is the state president even today,” while gesturing towards Annamalai, who was seated beside him. Brushing off further speculation, Shah added, “Leave a few things to our party… we will run it well.”

The statement comes amid reports that AIADMK was uncomfortable continuing the alliance with Annamalai at the helm, accusing him of undermining the party’s role and projecting the BJP as the main opposition in Tamil Nadu.

Nainar Nagendran likely to succeed Annamalai

Despite Shah’s assertion, the BJP has received only one nomination for the Tamil Nadu BJP president’s post—from Nainar Nagendran, current vice-president and MLA from Tirunelveli. His nomination was proposed by Annamalai himself, along with three senior leaders, including Union Minister L Murugan and ex-minister Pon Radhakrishnan.

The move paves the way for Nagendran’s unopposed election as state chief.

While Annamalai’s term as state president nears a close, Amit Shah and the BJP have indicated that his future lies within the party’s central leadership. In a post on X, Shah praised Annamalai’s work, calling his contributions “commendable” and “unprecedented”. He stated that the BJP would utilise Annamalai’s organisational skills in the party’s national framework.

Annamalai, a former IPS officer, was appointed the Tamil Nadu BJP chief in 2021. Though the party has yet to make major electoral gains under his leadership, he is widely credited for significantly boosting its visibility in the state.

Tensions escalated in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Friday as a fresh wave of protests against the Waqf law turned violent, leading to large-scale vandalism, arson, and attacks on residential areas. The unrest erupted just days after similar violence rocked the district earlier in the week.

CCTV footage from one of the affected areas showed a man entering a house and smashing motorcycles with bricks and utensils. A woman whose house was attacked said a mob stormed into her residence, ransacked furniture, and damaged two-wheelers parked downstairs. “They couldn’t reach the upper floor as it was locked, but they vandalized what was outside,” she said.

The renewed violence came as Murshidabad was recovering from earlier riots that had led to the imposition of prohibitory orders. Friday’s violence was primarily reported from Suti and Samsherganj areas in the Jangipur subdivision.

Protest after Friday prayers turns chaotic

Following Friday prayers, protestors marched through the streets, and soon the demonstrations turned chaotic. Visuals from the scene showed vehicles in flames and thick smoke rising from the roads. Protesters clashed with police, hurled crude bombs, and set multiple vehicles, including an ambulance, on fire.

The ambulance driver was reportedly assaulted before the vehicle was torched. Several shops and homes, particularly those belonging to Hindu families, were vandalized in the minority-dominated district. A police officer stated that some personnel had to take refuge in a mosque to escape the violence.

Transport hit, security heightened

Train services were disrupted, particularly along the New Farakka-Azimganj section of Eastern Railway, as protestors blocked tracks. National Highway-12 was also obstructed by demonstrators.

In response, security has been stepped up across Murshidabad. Large contingents of police and the Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed in sensitive pockets to prevent further escalation.