Punjab CM Mann to move SC over governor’s refusal to sign Bills

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said his government will move the Supreme Court against governor Banwarilal Purohit's refusal to give approval to three Bills that were to be tabled in the state Assembly on Friday (October 20).

The House was then adjourned sine die, hours after proceedings began on the first day of the two-day session.

Mann told Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan that his government would not table any of the Bills and requested him to adjourn the House sine die.

"I do not want that any tussle with the governor escalates further," Mann said. "I request you that we will not table any Bill till we ensure Punjabis that this session is legal, and the governor will have to give all approvals (to Bills) and also sign them."

After Mann's request, a resolution to adjourn the assembly sine die was moved and passed by the House.

The chief minister said, "we will knock the door of the Supreme Court in the coming days".

Governor-AAP tussle

In unending tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the AAP government, Governor Purohit on Thursday wrote to Mann withholding his approval for the three Bills.

He "strongly” suggested that the Bhagwant Mann government call either a monsoon or winter session instead of choosing to continue on this "precarious course", the Governor said.

The governor had said if the government continued with the "patently illegal session", he would be compelled to consider an appropriate course of action including reporting the matter to the President.

The AAP government on Friday went ahead with the session despite the governor projecting as "unlawful".

(With agency inputs)