Kochi: The Kerala government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court questioning the delay caused by the Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to clear bills passed by the legislature, media reports said.
“The Governor is bound to dispose of every bill presented within a reasonable time…, the petition said and alleged that the Governor had,”failed in the exercise of his constitutional powers and duties”.
The petition alleged that eight bills were pending before the Governor. Three of them were held up for about two years and another three bills for over 12 months. One of them is aimed at removing Khan as the Chancellor of universities in the state.
The Governor’s action is arbitrary, illegal and amounts to abdication of Constitutional responsibility,” the government argued in the petition.
Chief Minister Vijayan’s government and Khan have differed on various issues during the last few years.
A few days back Khan had accused Vijayan of shirking his constitutional duty to brief the Head of State.
A similar situation prevails in Tamil Nadu where the ruling DMK has accused Governor R N Ravi of intentionally sitting on the bills.