Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, who triggered a huge political stir in the state after dismissing state minister V Senthil Balaji on corruption charges, decided to keep the dismissal order in abeyance for the time being, sources said on Thursday. The Raj Bhavan informed Chief Minister MK Stalin about it, they added.
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 halt of Governor’s decision is likely to cool off an imminent political war between the state government and the Governor on Balaji row.
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.
The development was an unprecedented move. Usually, a Governor take such move only on the CM recommendation. Stalin had said the state government would challenge the governor’s decision legally.
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. Abusing his position as a minister, he has been influencing the investigation and obstructing the due process of law and justice,” the release added.
