The President who used the pocket veto on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill, 1986 was:

President Giani Zail Singh used his pocket veto on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill, 1986, by neither giving assent nor returning it to Parliament.

Background of the bill:

• The bill was passed by Parliament during the Rajiv Gandhi government.
• It sought to give the government wide powers to intercept postal articles.
• Critics said that it would allow censorship of the post and violate freedom of speech and privacy.

What the President did:

• Zail Singh did not sign the bill or send it back, and kept it pending.
• The bill could not become law during his term.
• The next President returned the bill to the government for reconsideration, and it was later withdrawn.

Why this case is famous:

• It is the most famous example of the use of the pocket veto by an Indian President.
• It showed that the President can delay a bill when he has serious doubts, because the Constitution sets no time limit for assent to ordinary bills.

Relations between the President and the Prime Minister:

• During this period there were strained relations between Zail Singh and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• The President complained that he was not being kept informed about important matters as required by Article 78.

About Giani Zail Singh:

• He was President of India from 1982 to 1987.
• He had earlier been Chief Minister of Punjab and Union Home Minister.
• As President, he also gave assent to important laws and appointed Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984.

The pocket veto and the Constitution:

• The pocket veto applies to ordinary bills.
• It cannot be used on Constitution Amendment Bills, to which assent is mandatory after the 24th Amendment.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Venkataraman, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy and Shankar Dayal Sharma were Presidents at other times.