Odisha BJP welcomes SC ruling on Presidential Reference, BJD says it respects apex court verdict

Bhubaneswar, Nov 20 (PTI) The Odisha BJP on Thursday said the Supreme Court verdict on the Presidential Reference reflects the strength, maturity and clarity of India's constitutional framework, while the opposition BJD said it respects the apex court's ruling that the actions of governors and the President in granting, withholding, or reserving assent to bills are not subject to judicial review.

"By providing authoritative interpretation and reaffirming the principles laid down in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has once again upheld the values of transparency, accountability, and institutional balance," Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said.

"This judgment not only settles important legal questions but also strengthens democratic governance by ensuring that constitutional processes are followed in their true spirit," Biswal said.

BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty said, "BJD believes the orders of the Supreme Court is the law of the land. The apex court had fixed a time limit earlier, but today it has cleared its position on Presidential Reference." "We respect the verdict of the court as always," the BJD leader said.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court held that the court cannot impose any timelines on Governors and the President to grant assent to Bills passed by state assemblies but at the same time said Governors do not have "unfettered" powers to sit on the Bills for "perpetuity".

In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai also held that "indefinite delay" by the Governors will be open to "limited judicial scrutiny" and that deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted by the apex court by using its plenary power under Article 142. Deemed assent would amount to virtual takeover of the role of a "separate constitutional authority," it said. PTI AAM AAM RG