Gubernatorial posts, especially since the advent of Modi regnancy, have become antagonistic epicentres for state governments. Even a blind person would not disbelieve that the BJP-RSS installed its stooges to frustrate the workings of an elected government.

The governor's role is supposed to correspond to that of a keeper of morals and a consulter. They are not to align with a party's agenda. The governor's and, by extrapolation, the President's powers exist to provide a safety net against the promulgation of arbitrary laws that may be detrimental to the state or the nation.

The Supreme Court, in its verdict, has accepted that RN Ravi, the governor of Tamil Nadu, had been out of line with the duties assigned to him. The decision may be groundbreaking, but the respite has been delayed far too long. The BJP has been using governors to hamper state governments for years now and, not only in Tamil Nadu.

While Tamil Nadu moved the Court in 2023, so did Punjab and Telangana, and West Bengal and Kerala approached the apex court in 2024. These states are all ruled by parties opposed to the BJP. The governments in these states have been suffering from the lunacy of dealing with oppugnant governors. The Delhi AAP government had an inimical LG. Their poor decisions to unwarrantedly withhold bills affect not only governments and political parties but, above all, the people of the state. Apparently, the BJP is an anti-people party.

The BJP had been trying to normalise absolute discretionary powers so that the governors could interfere in the working of non-BJP states. However, by defining Article 200, the judgement has clarified that such arrangements will have no future.

This judgement has taken on more interesting flavours as some hawk-eyed legal journalists have noted that it has failed to appear on the Supreme Court's website up until the writing of this editorial. Intriguingly, later judgements pronounced by the same two-judge bench have already been posted. Concerns are being voiced that what may eventually appear may be a heavily "cleansed" version of what was articulated in the Court.

Regardless, it is clear that RN Ravi has become persona non grata and must resign pronto. The BJP, which claims to be better than Congress, must see to it. Manmohan Singh and the Congress, though circumspect on the implications of the SC observations on Buta Singh as the governor of Bihar, asked him to step down, which he did by faxing his resignation to APJ Abdul Kalam.

This astute judgment has certainly set a precedent for future cases. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how beneficial this judgement will be for other states in the same conundrum. Unless the central government is strongly countered in its attempts at sabotaging opposing states, it will continue to misuse its powers to seize control.