The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside its earlier ruling that required governors and the President to decide on state bills within three months, holding that courts cannot impose rigid timelines on constitutional authorities.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said prescribing deadlines would “violate the elasticity available under the Constitution,” but it also warned governors against deliberately taking no action at all.

While delivering its opinion on the presidential reference for timelines to clear state bills, the top court stressed that while it cannot interfere in the merits of a Governor’s decision, “stalling bills indefinitely and bringing bills to procedural impasse is antithetical to the Constitution.”

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