Prez reference: SC reserves verdict on question over fixing timeline for guvs' nod to clear bills
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict after hearing arguments for 10 days on the presidential reference, which asked if a constitutional court can impose timelines for governors and President to assent to bills passed by state legislatures.
A Constitution bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar, which commenced the hearing on August 19 on the reference, reserved the verdict.
With the conclusion of the country's topmost law officer, Attorney General R Venkataramani's arguments, the matter was reserved for verdict by the bench.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, concluded his arguments, contesting the submissions of the opposition-ruled Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh which opposed the reference.
Senior advocates K K Venugopal and Kapil Sibal, appearing for Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments, respectively, had opposed the presidential reference and said the issues raised by President were covered by a series of apex court judgments, including the April 8 verdict.
The decision of President came after the April 8 verdict of the apex court which set timelines for governors in assenting to bills passed by the state government.
The verdict was passed in a protracted battle between the Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and the state government over withholding assent to bills passed by the state legislature.
The top court while hearing the reference asked what was wrong if President herself sought views through a reference on whether fixed timelines could be imposed on governors and her for acting on bills passed by state legislatures.
"When the President herself is seeking reference then what is the problem? Are you really serious about contesting this?" the bench asked while beginning a crucial hearing on the reference.
"It is very clear that we are sitting in an advisory jurisdiction," the CJI noted.
During the 10 days of hearing, the apex court heard a battery of senior lawyers including the attorney general, the solicitor general besides Venugopal, Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Arvind Datar, Gopal Subramanian, Maninder Singh, N K Kaul, Anand Sharma, P Wilson and Gopal Sankaranarayanan primarily on the powers of governors especially under Article 200 of the Constitution.
The BJP-ruled states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Goa and Chhattisgarh defended the functional autonomy of governors and President in assenting to bills passed by the state assembly.
Article 200 governs powers of Governor regarding bills passed by the state legislature, allowing them to either assent to the bill, withhold assent, return the bill for reconsideration or reserve the bill for the consideration of the President.
In May, President Droupadi Murmu exercised powers under Article 143(1) of the Constitution to know from the top court whether timelines could be imposed by judicial orders for exercise of discretion by the President while dealing with the bills passed by state assemblies.
In a five-page reference, President Murmu posed 14 questions to the Supreme Court and sought to know its opinion on powers of Governor and President under Articles 200 and 201 in dealing with bills passed by the state legislature.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
