Kerala Governor Slammed by CPI(M), Congress Over Remarks on SC Verdict on Governors' Role

The CPI(M) and Congress on Saturday came down heavily on Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for his reported criticism of the Supreme Court’s recent verdict that set a timeline for Governors to act on Bills passed by state legislatures.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Arlekar reportedly termed the SC verdict as an “overreach by the judiciary” and said the matter should have been referred to a Constitution Bench instead of being decided by a division bench, in reference to the court’s ruling in the case of Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi.

Reacting to the statement, CPI(M) Politburo member M A Baby called Arlekar's remarks “undesirable” and emphasized that the ruling applied to everyone, including the President of India. “Even the President does not sit on Bills passed by Parliament. So how can Governors have an authority which the President does not have?” he asked while speaking to reporters in Delhi.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, who is also the party’s MP from Alappuzha, called Arlekar’s remarks “unfortunate” and alleged that the Governor was attempting to shield the BJP’s agenda from being exposed. Speaking at a Congress event in Kozhikode, Venugopal said, “It is unfortunate that the Kerala Governor has come forward against the Supreme Court verdict.”

Venugopal also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using Governors as political tools to undermine elected governments. He claimed Arlekar “glorifies” Parliament’s legislative authority but fails to respect the powers of state Assemblies.

Praising the Supreme Court verdict as a “silver lining” against the Sangh Parivar’s alleged interference, Venugopal said that delays in granting assent to Bills were undermining the spirit of democracy.

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