September 5, 2025

NEW DELHI: Drama unfolds in the Supreme Court as West Bengal raises a fiery warning! The state says if governors get too much power to decide on state bills, it could kill the heartbeat of democracy. On Wednesday, West Bengal's voice came clear through senior advocate Kapil Sibal. He told the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai that India's Constitution never planned for governors to play a big or dominant role in state law-making or governance. "If the governor is given unbridled discretion and he decides to simply sit on a bill for years, it will amount to negating the will of the people," Sibal said. He slammed the idea of governors stalling bills endlessly as a threat to the people's voice through their elected lawmakers. Sibal pointed out that the Constitution expects governors to act "as soon as possible." Delaying bills without a reason breaks the very rules the country was built on. He warned that giving governors a free hand to say yes or no without explaining their choice means ignoring the state's legislature and turning governors into super powerful figures—"a concept wholly alien to democracy and responsible government," he added. Why does this matter now? Because in many states ruled by opposition parties, bills have been stuck for ages, turning democracy into a waiting game. Sibal said, "A house cannot run if there is marital discord," meaning harmony between the governor, legislature, and executive is a must. Adding more fire to the debate, senior advocates Gopal Subramanium and Anand Sharma, representing Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, joined Sibal's side. They stressed that governors and the President have no real law-making or executive roles in the federal system. Subramanium reminded the court of Dr B R Ambedkar’s vision where Centre and states act as equals in their own areas. He warned, "If governors can stall state bills without limits, it would upset this careful balance." The Supreme Court is now hearing if it should set a clear time frame for governors and the President to decide on bills. West Bengal and the other lawyers say this won't change the Constitution but will just protect democracy by stopping endless delays. This battle shines a spotlight on how India’s federal system keeps the dance between Centre and states graceful—and why no one should freeze state laws in time!

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Tags: Governor discretion, State legislatures, Supreme court, Kapil sibal, Federalism, Constitutional law,