On Tuesday, the Centre told the Supreme Court that its recent judgment on the role of governors in Tamil Nadu does not apply to Kerala's case regarding the delay by its governor.

The court was reviewing a petition filed by Kerala in 2023, challenging the Governor's delay in deciding on the Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly. Representing the Centre, Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the Kerala case has different facts and issues, so it should be heard separately. The Supreme Court agreed and is expected to take up the matter on May 6. Earlier, on April 8, the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgement, criticising Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. The Court said his decision to withhold bills passed by the state Assembly was “illegal.”

The Supreme Court criticised Governor Ravi, calling his long delay in taking action “dishonest” and against the Constitution. Besides scolding the Tamil Nadu Governor, the court also clearly explained the time limit within which Governors must act on bills passed by state assemblies. Shortly after the court's decision, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, in an interview with a national newspaper, called the ruling an example of "judicial overreach" and raised concerns about whether the Supreme Court has the power to set deadlines for Governors to take action on bills.

“If a constitutional amendment is done by the Supreme Court, then why are legislature and Parliament needed?” he asked, adding that only Parliament has the authority to make such amendments. 

“The Supreme Court could have suggested it, not imposed it,” he said. This caused a heated exchange between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arlekar. Vijayan strongly criticised the Governor’s comments, where he had spoken against the Supreme Court’s decision, calling those remarks “unacceptable.” Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Usually, a Governor should not take a stand contrary to a Supreme Court ruling. But in this case, political reasons have prompted it. That is what has happened here. Such a stand is unacceptable.” Arlekar said that Kerala’s situation is different from Tamil Nadu’s and defended himself by saying that there are no bills pending at the Kerala Raj Bhavan.

“Whichever bills were sent here, I have already addressed. Some were sent for Presidential assent,” he said. On July 26, 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Kerala's plea, which claimed that bills passed by the state's legislative assembly were not given approval.

The Kerala government said that the then Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan, had sent some of these bills to President Droupadi Murmu, but they still hadn't been approved. Taking this into account, the Supreme Court sent notices to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the secretaries of the Kerala Governor.