Tamil Nadu Governor Takes Back Dismissal Of Jailed Minister: Sources

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Thursday took back a contentious order, the first of its kind in recent memory, announcing the dismissal of Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers without consulting Chief Minister MK Stalin amid a bitter standoff with the state's DMK government, sources said.

Mr Balaji, who was arrested two weeks ago and is in jail amid criminal proceedings in an alleged cash-for-jobs scandal, had been retained as a minister without portfolio by Mr Stalin, a decision that Governor Ravi had decided to unilaterally override.

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.

Late night, sources in the Governor's office said he was consulting the Attorney General on the matter and the decision was on hold. Mr Balaji will remain minister for now, they said.

The Tamil Nadu government had planned to disregard the original order and challenge it in the Supreme Court, sources said.

Speaking to reporters, MK Stalin lashed out at the Governor, saying he does not have the right to do dismiss the minister and his government will proceed legally in the matter.  "Governor doesn't have the right (to dismiss a sitting minister) and we will face this legally," he said, according to news agency PTI.

DMK leader A Saravanan accused the Governor of undermining the Constitution, saying that the order, dismissing Mr Balaji from the state's council of ministers, is "not even worth the paper it was drafted on".

"Who does the Governor thinks he is? Does he have the constitutional authority (to dismiss Senthil Balaji)? The Governor is undermining the constitution. He is catering to the Sanatan Dharma. The law of the land isn't determined by the Sanatan Dharma. For a Governor, the constitution should be the Bible, Gita, and Quran. He is acting like a clown, trying to appease his political masters. His order isn't even worth the paper it was drafted on. It must be consigned to the dustbin," the DMK leader 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.