India: Tamil Nadu governor sacks arrested minister, backtracks on decision hours later

The political conundrum in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu reached a new tipping point on Thursday. Governor RN Ravi first sacked the arrested minister V Senthil Balaji from the council of ministers, before pressing pause on the decision, a few hours later.

On Thursday evening, a press release from the Governor's House stated that Balaji had been removed from his position as his presence could interfere with the ongoing investigation against him.

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“There are reasonable apprehensions that continuation of Thiru V. Senthilbalaji in the Council of Ministers will adversely impact the due process of law including fair investigation that may eventually lead to breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the State. Under these circumstances, Honourable Governor has dismissed Thiru V. Senthilbalaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect," read the release.

However, five hours later, Governor Ravi backtracked on the decision saying Senthil's sacking was being put on hold with immediate effect.

The back-and-forth by the governor provided the required ammo to the state government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin to launch an attack on him. Stalin said the governor had no right to sack a minister and that his DMK-Congress government will take up the matter to the legal corridors.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said the president should sack the Tamil Nadu governor for no lawyer could have provided him with such an idea.

"No sane bureaucrat much less a sane lawyer could have advised Mr Ravi that Constitutional scheme allows him to dismiss a Minister. Criminal jurisprudence holds you are innocent until proven guilty," said Tewari.

Citing Article 164 of the constitution, Tewari added that a minister can only be removed on the advice of the chief minister.

Prime accused in corruption case

V Senthil Balaji, the state electricity and excise minister, was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED), earlier this month, in connection with an alleged money laundering case related to a job racket.

Balaji has been named as an accused in the corruption case related to a job scam that took place during his tenure as transport minister from 2011-2015 in the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government. He joined the rival DMK in 2018.

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The arrest followed an extensive 18-hour interrogation by the ED and raids at adozen places in Chennai and Karur, including Balaji's official residence in Chennai. The Supreme Court had previously given its nod to the ED to continue its investigation into the corruption allegations against Balaji.

Notably, shortly after the arrest, Senthil had to be admitted to a hospital, where he had to undergo a coronary angiogram and was advised bypass surgery at the earliest.

(With inputs from agencies)

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