Tamil Nadu Governor dismisses minister, puts order in abeyance hours later

PTI

Chennai, June 29

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has decided to keep the dismissal order of state minister V Senthil Balaji in abeyance for the time being and informed Chief Minister MK Stalin about it, sources said on Thursday.

Was Arrested in cash-for-jobs scam

V Senthil Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash-for-jobs scam on June 14. He is currently in judicial custody. A few other cases against him are being investigated.

In a late evening communication to the Chief Minister, the Governor said he would consult the Attorney General and seek his legal opinion about the move.

The order to dismiss Balaji from the Council of Ministers has been kept in abeyance by the Governor until further communication, the sources said. Earlier, the Governor had dismissed Balaji from the Council of Ministers, days after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam. Stalin had said the state government would challenge the Governor’s decision legally.

Unprecedented move by a governor

Legal experts say there has been no previous instance in the history of the nation of a Governor unilaterally removing a minister.

In an official release, the Raj Bhavan in Chennai had said, “There are reasonable apprehensions that the continuation of V Senthil Balaji in the Council of Ministers will adversely impact the due process of law, including fair investigation that may eventually lead to the breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state.”

Balaji “is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption, including taking cash for jobs and money laundering,” the release added.