ai: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has withdrawn his controversial order that dismissed Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers. The governor has reportedly issued the dismissal order of the Minister without consulting Chief Minister MK Stalin. The governor and the DNK-led government were on loggerhead on many issues and the current dismissal of the minister has intensified the tussle.
Governor Ravi’s decision to override Stalin’s retention of Balaji as a minister without portfolio, despite his arrest and ongoing criminal proceedings in a cash-for-jobs scandal, was met with opposition. The Raj Bhavan released an official statement citing Balaji’s involvement in corruption cases as the reason for his dismissal.
However, sources later indicated that the Governor’s office was seeking consultation with the Attorney General, temporarily suspending the decision. The Tamil Nadu government planned to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. DMK leader A Saravanan accused the Governor of undermining the Constitution and criticised the order as being of no value. Meanwhile, Balaji remains a minister, and his judicial custody has been extended until July 12, following his recent heart surgery.
The relationship between the DMK government and the Governor’s office has been strained for months, with disagreements over various matters, including the Governor’s refusal to approve legislation passed by the state assembly. Similar tensions between opposition-led state governments and Governors or Lieutenant Governors allegedly acting in a partisan manner have been observed in other states like West Bengal, Telangana, and Kerala, with accusations of influence from the BJP-led central government.