New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear the Punjab government's petition against the governor delaying two state bills only after the five-judge constitution bench tasked with examining the President's powers and obligations in dealing with legislation arrives at a decision. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria said the constitution bench's decision in the Presidential reference matter might end up answering all the questions posed in the present petition filed by the Punjab government, and hence, it was advisable to wait until then. The Court made the observations after the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Union government, argued that the present petition raised issues of powers under Article 145 of the Constitution. Such matters, Mehta told the Court, "cannot be handled by a smaller bench." The Punjab government has moved the SC against the delay in the approval of two laws passed by its assembly in 2023 -- the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill and the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill. The state has claimed that its bills were kept "in limbo" after governor Banwarilal Purohit referred them to the President "arbitrarily" and without any constitutional justification. Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the Punjab, objected to the Union government's submission and its interim application asking for the same. Singhvi sought time to "reply to the union's application," and said the present hearing must be deferred. The Court then reiterated that once the constitution bench decided on the presidential reference, it will resolve all issues raised in the present petition as well. "Once the constitution bench decides the issue, all other benches will be bound to follow that ruling. This case can be taken up after the Presidential reference is decided," the Supreme Court said. Last week, the Union government urged the Supreme Court to refer the Punjab government's petition to the constitution bench that will examine the President's powers and obligations in dealing with legislation. It requested the Court to either tag Punjab's petition with the ongoing Presidential Reference or keep it pending until a five-judge bench delivers its opinion on the reference. President Droupadi Murmu had, under Article 143, sought the Court's guidance on 14 questions arising from its April 8 ruling that fixed timelines for governors and the President in granting, refusing or withholding assent to state bills. The Punjab government has moved the Court against the delay in the approval of two laws passed by its assembly in 2023 -- the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill and the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill. The state has claimed that its bills were kept "in limbo" after governor Banwarilal Purohit referred them to the President "arbitrarily" and without any constitutional justification. In its petition, Punjab has contended that the governor's referral of the bills to the President was in violation of the constitutional scheme, which requires him to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers unless there is a constitutional trigger or a breakdown of democratic governance. It has also assailed what it termed as the President's "inaction" on the two bills, arguing that under the Supreme Court's April 8 ruling, reasons must be provided in case of refusal or withholding of assent. The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, by mandating the statutory board to ensure the propagation of the Gurus' teachings through an uninterrupted live feed of Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib, which must be made available free of cost to all media outlets. It further bars telecast of advertisements during the 30 minutes before and after the Gurbani broadcast. The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, proposes changes to the Punjab Police Act, 2007, to establish an independent mechanism for the selection and appointment of the Director General of Police (DGP). According to the state, the amendment aims to insulate the process from political or executive interference while addressing Punjab's unique law-and-order challenges. Meanwhile, a constitution bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai and justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar, has set aside nine days of hearings, starting from August 19 and spreading into September, to decide 14 constitutional questions referred by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 143....