In a sharp rebuttal, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal lashed out at Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for his comments against the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s delay in clearing state bills. Sibal asserted that the Vice President must remember constitutional norms, emphasizing that the President and Governors act on the aid and advice of their respective councils of ministers. He termed the Governor’s withholding of bills as an “intrusion on the supremacy of the legislature” and questioned whether the President can indefinitely delay a bill passed by Parliament. “Yeh to ulti baat hai (this is a reversed logic),” Sibal said, stressing that such delays challenge democratic principles.

Jagdeep Dhankhar, addressing Rajya Sabha interns, criticized the Supreme Court’s judgment, expressing concern that the judiciary was encroaching upon legislative and executive domains. He referred to the court’s direction to the President as unprecedented, suggesting that judges were acting as lawmakers and executives. “Where are we heading?” Dhankhar asked, calling the development alarming and not in the spirit of democracy. He added that while the Constitution allows judicial interpretation, such powers must be exercised cautiously and ideally through a constitutional bench of five judges or more.

Responding to Dhankhar’s outburst, Sibal, who also serves as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, defended the judiciary’s stance. He argued that if a Governor or President delays a bill without valid reason, it undermines the legislative body’s authority. He pointed out that the courts intervened only to safeguard democratic processes. “A minister should stay with the Governor for two years to see the issues on the ground. Would the Governor ignore them then?” he asked, stressing the need for accountability at every level of governance.