Tamil Nadu Governor Dismisses Jailed Minister On His Own In Rare Move

Chennai:

In a contentious move, the first of its kind in recent memory, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has dismissed Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers without consulting Chief Minister MK Stalin, broadening a bitter standoff with the state’s DMK government.

Mr Balaji, who is in jail and faces serious criminal proceedings in several corruption cases including a cash-for-jobs scandal, had been retained as a minister without portfolio by Mr Stalin, a decision now overridden by Governor Ravi’s unilateral action.

In an official statement, the Raj Bhavan said Mr Balaji “is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption, including taking cash for jobs and money laundering.”

“Under these circumstances, the Governor has dismissed Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect,” it said.

The Tamil Nadu government plans to challenge the move in the Supreme Court, sources said.

A court in Chennai on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Mr Balaji, who was arrested by the country’s financial-crime-fighting agency Enforcement Directorate earlier this month, until July 12.

Hours before that, the Supreme Court had allowed him to be moved to a private hospital, where he underwent heart surgery. Before that, he was being treated at a government hospital for complaints of uneasiness and chest pain.

The agency, which arrested Mr Balaji in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state transport department, had moved the Supreme Court against a Madras High Court order. The high court had also allowed Mr Balaji to be shifted.

The relationship between the DMK government and the Governor’s office has been tense for months, marked by disagreements over several issues, most notably, the Governor’s refusal to assent to legislation passed by the state assembly.

The DMK had last year petitioned President Droupadi Murmu, alleging unconstitutional conduct by Governor Ravi and his failure to sign a substantial number of bills passed by the Assembly.

The DMK argues that a Governor who becomes politically active must cease to hold office, especially when their actions oppose the elected state government, deeming it a “constitutional perversion”.

Similar friction has been reported in other states ruled by the opposition, including West Bengal, Telangana, and Kerala. In these cases, the Governors or Lieutenant Governors have been accused of acting in a partisan manner, allegedly at the instance of the BJP-led central government.