New Delhi, Nov. 21 -- In a big relief to the Union Government, the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday held that the court cannot impose any timelines on Governors and the President to grant assent to Bills passed by State Assemblies. The court, however, added that Governors cannot sit on the Bills for perpetuity.

In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai also held that indefinite delay by the Governors will be open to limited judicial scrutiny and that deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted by the SC by using its plenary power under Article 142.

Deemed assent would amount to a virtual takeover of the role of a "separate constitutional authority," said the Const...