In a significant setback for Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that his action of withholding assent and subsequently reserving 10 key Bills for the President was “illegal” and “arbitrary.” The court sided with the MK Stalin-led state government, asserting that the Governor failed to act in good faith.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan declared that the Governor’s decision to reserve the re-passed Bills for the President’s consideration was constitutionally impermissible. The court said all such actions by the Governor “are set aside,” and the 10 Bills in question “shall be deemed to be cleared from the date they were re-presented to him.”

Citing Article 200 of the Constitution, the bench emphasized that while Governors do have limited discretion — such as giving assent, withholding it, or reserving a Bill — once a Bill is re-passed by the Assembly, the Governor must give assent and cannot further delay or reserve it again. The ruling reinforces that a Governor cannot act on personal opinion or political preference when the democratic will of the legislature is clear.

The judgment also prescribed strict timelines to prevent indefinite delays by Governors. The court stated that a Governor must act on a Bill within one month — either by giving assent, withholding assent, or reserving it for the President’s consideration with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

Judicial scrutiny for future delays

Highlighting the misuse of discretion, the Supreme Court warned that any failure to act within this stipulated timeframe would invite judicial scrutiny. The ruling is expected to have nationwide implications, especially in states where confrontations between Raj Bhavans and elected governments have become frequent.

This verdict is widely seen as a win for federalism and legislative supremacy, reinforcing the accountability of constitutional authorities to the elected governments they serve.

By Mohammad Javed Rasheedi

In a move straight out of the stand-up-meets-satire playbook, the stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has penned an open letter to ticketing giant BookMyShow, and it’s equal parts polite request, roast and mic drop.

After being delisted by the platform for poking fun at Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Eknath Shinde in a parody song, Kamra didn’t just walk off stage quietly.

Posted on social media platform X, Kamra’s letter calls out the event ticketing giant for restricting his access to his own audience and asks for their contact data — collected through solo shows he performed between 2017 and 2025.

 “If you’re kicking me out, at least give me the email IDs of the people who came to laugh at my jokes,” Kamra wrote in his twitter post.

Kamra, addressing BookMyShow directly, acknowledged the portal’s need to “maintain a cordial relationship with the state” and operate in Mumbai, a vital entertainment hub. But he firmly stated that the issue isn’t about being delisted — it’s about the exclusive control BookMyShow exercises over artist listings and the audience data they generate.

“You’ve effectively prevented me from accessing the audience I’ve performed for,” Kamra wrote. The stand-up comedian also requested that the platform either refrain from delisting him or hand over the contact information of those who attended his solo performances — noting that this data was critical for sustaining a fair livelihood.

BookMyShow delists Kamra amid controversy

The platform, run by Bigtree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., removed all of Kamra’s content and dropped him from its artiste list following political backlash over a parody song he performed during a show in Mumbai. The lyrics — set to Bholi Si Surat from Dil To Pagal Hai — mocked Eknath Shinde, calling him a “gaddar” (traitor), a term repeatedly used by Uddhav Thackeray since the 2022 Shiv Sena split.

The backlash led to vandalism of the Habitat studio, a key comedy venue in Mumbai. Civic authorities later demolished parts of the studio citing building violations, but the timing sparked speculation that it was linked to Kamra’s performance. Multiple FIRs have since been filed against the comedian, who has skipped three summons and currently has interim protection from arrest from the Madras High Court.

Kamra hilariously pointed out the irony of BookMyShow charging a 10% commission and locking him out of the very fans he paid Rs 6,000–Rs 10,000 daily to advertise to. It’s like buying your own party tickets and then being told you can’t enter the venue. He added that while data protection is often cited by companies, the broader question is: “Who protects what data, and from whom?”

Kamra emphasized the distinction between collective data from group events like comedy festivals and individual audience lists from his solo shows, which he believes should rightfully belong to the performer.

“BookMyShow should be called BookMySilence”

Sena leader Rahool Kanal, who was arrested in the studio vandalism case, had earlier urged BookMyShow to drop Kamra. After the platform’s action, Kanal publicly thanked them for “keeping such artists out of the list of pure entertainment” and accused Kamra of pushing a “personal agenda.”However, parody songs are more dangerous than, say, smashing private property.

BookMyShow, meanwhile, has maintained a silence so loud it should be on surround sound. No response yet to Kamra’s open letter, or the data request, or… anything.

Amid mounting political and public uproar over the Supreme Court’s cancellation of over 25,000 teacher appointments in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has pledged to protect the jobs of those she calls deserving. The court order, passed due to large-scale irregularities in the 2016 recruitment by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), has sent shockwaves across the state’s education system.

Addressing affected teachers, Banerjee said, “As long as I’m alive, no one will lose job.” She demanded clarity from the Supreme Court on who qualifies as “deserving” and cited the example of the NEET medical entrance exam. “There were serious allegations in NEET too, but the entire examination wasn’t scrapped. Why is Bengal being singled out?” she questioned.

She also invoked the Vyapam scam in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, stating that justice remains elusive in that case despite severe criminal allegations. “In Bengal, the system is being targeted because you’re scared of Bengal’s talent,” she alleged.

The Supreme Court, in its order last week, declared that the 2016 recruitment was riddled with manipulations and fraud. The bench noted severe irregularities including “rank jumping”, appointment of out-of-panel candidates, unauthorized selections bypassing the commission’s recommendations, and destruction of OMR sheets — all of which compromised the credibility of the process.

“The WBSSC initially tried to cover up the lapses. The scale of manipulation makes verification nearly impossible. The entire process was intentionally compromised,” the court remarked. While candidates found not guilty of wrongdoing won’t need to return their salaries, their appointments will still stand cancelled. The court has directed the state to restart the recruitment within three months.

Mamata accuses Opposition of conspiracy

Firing back politically, Banerjee accused the BJP and CPM of orchestrating a conspiracy to “collapse the state education system” and target her government. “You have people everywhere. But don’t snatch jobs to target me. Remember, an injured tiger is more dangerous,” she warned.

She reassured affected teachers that the state government will explore all options. “If the Supreme Court gives clarity, we will comply. If not, we’ll find another way. Suffer for two months, not 20 years. I’ll even compensate for that,” she said, promising not to let deserving candidates “beg”.