BREAKING| Supreme Court To Hear Today Punjab Govt Plea Challenging Governor's Refusal To Summon Assembly's Budget Session

The Punjab Government has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging the refusal of Governor Banwarilal Purohit to grant permission to the government to summon the budget session scheduled on March 3.

Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singvhi mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud seeking urgent listing.

"This is something absurd. The Governor has no power to not summon the assembly. The budget session is to start on 3rd March. We wrote to the Governor seeking to summon the assembly. He is bound to summon as per Article 174 and three Constitution Bench judgments. The learned Governor writes a latter saying Chief Minister made some strong statements. The CM writes back saying you have to keep in mind the interests of Punjabi people", Singhvi submitted.

After being told that the budget session is scheduled on March 3, CJI agreed to hear the matter today itself at 3.50 PM, after the Constitution Bench sitting.

The petition has been filed through Additional Advocate General Shadan Farasat under Article 32 and the Principal Secretary to the Governor of Punjab has been arrayed as the first respondent. It is argued that as per Constitutional provisions, the Governor has to summon the assembly as per the aid and advice given by the government.

Earlier, the Governor had written to the Chief Minister saying he would decide on allowing the budget session only after getting legal advice on certain tweets and statements made by the CM against the Governor, which were “extremely derogatory and patently unconstitutional". This development came in the backdrop of the ongoing stand off between the AAP government and the Governor.