Stripped of Halo – Governors Don’t Have Unbridled Powers: SC

A five-judge bench made the observation while dealing with the political row in Arunachal Pradesh that brought the role of the governor under scrutiny. (Photo: The Quint)

A Supreme Court bench mentioned that a governor is a political appointee and does not enjoy unbridled powers. Even though it reserved the right to examine the legality of governors’ actions, the five-judge bench made the observation while dealing with the political row in Arunachal Pradesh that brought the role of the governor under scrutiny.

Governor is a political appointee even if he is a judge of the Supreme Court. Every governor is a political appointee.

Justice JS Khehar

The remark came after senior advocate Vikas Singh insisted that the Arunachal Governor, JP Rajkhowa, was only a civil servant and not a political appointee. He added that a governor enjoyed absolute immunity for his actions while in office. Governors were only answerable to the President, they contended.

The Centre imposed President’s rule on Rajkhowa’s recommendation that the constitutional machinery in the state had broken down.

The issue landed in the Guwahati high court, which upheld the governor’s decision to convene a session before time to test the government’s majority. The high court order is now under challenge in the top court.