The Opposition termed Ravi's move to dismiss Balaji as "outrageous" and "unconstitutional" — and called for his immediate sacking.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi.(rajbhavan_tn/ Twitter)
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi dismissed Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers on Thursday, 29 June, days after the latter was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam.
While he later decided to keep the dismissal order in abeyance for the time being, and informed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin about it, Opposition parties have dubbed his attempt as “unconstitutional” and an example of “gubernatorial adventurism”.
Chief Minister Stalin, meanwhile, held a meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues, legal experts, and senior advocate and DMK MP NR Elango on Friday, 30 June to discuss the matter.
The meeting decided to communicate to the Governor that his decision to remove a minister without the knowledge of the chief minister was “unconstitutional and untenable”.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule on Friday, 30 June, described Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi’s move of dismissing a Cabinet minister as “dictatorship”.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Sule said the Governor acted as if he was a BJP Governor and not that of Tamil Nadu.
“This is a dictatorship. Where is the Constitution and democracy?” Sule asked.
If such an incident can happen in Tamil Nadu, it can happen in other states as well, the Baramati MP added.
The CPI(M) termed Ravi’s move to dismiss Balaji as “outrageous” and “unconstitutional” — and called for his immediate sacking.
“Remove Governor of Tamil Nadu. This is a totally unconstitutional act as the Governor has no right to appoint or remove ministers, except on the advice of the chief minister. Shri Ravi has been taking a series of steps, which amounts to interference in the politics of the state and in the running of the state government,” the Left party said in a statement.
“The latest outrageous move to dismiss a minister, though kept in abeyance, makes it amply clear that he is not fit to hold the Constitutional post of Governor. The President of India should recall him forthwith,” it said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) Liberation, a partner of the “grand alliance” government in Bihar, also demanded the removal of Governor Ravi for “transgressing his jurisdiction”.
Talking to PTI on Friday, CPI-ML Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said: “Ravi had been repeatedly transgressing his jurisdiction and indulging in acts of gubernatorial adventurism.”
Bhattacharya said, “The Governor has been emboldened by the arrogance of the Narendra Modi-led government. Every non-BJP government is being treated as an enemy.”
“From the demotion of Jammu and Kashmir to Union territories to the promulgation of the Delhi ordinance to the Tamil Nadu incident, the Modi government’s war on the Constitution and the federal framework is getting uglier by the day,” he said.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s misrule has plunged the country into a deep crisis, he said, adding that the time had now come to fight the fascist forces to protect the “Constitution and the secular-democratic fabric of our nation”.
“The Central government has weakened the country’s autonomous authorities and attempts are being made to destroy the federal structure,” he added.
In 2014-2015, while Balaji was the transport minister during the AIADMK regime, a recruitment drive was announced for the posts of reserve crew drivers, crew conductors, junior tradesmen (JTMs), junior assistant (JA), and junior engineer.
According to the Enforement Directorate (ED) FIR, Balaji and others received money from several people in lieu of promises of a government job in the Transport Department.
Following the ED raids on 13 June, at the minister’s office, residence, and the Tamil Nadu Secretariat, Balaji, was arrested by the ED on 14 June.
On 15 June, after Balaji’s arrest by the ED, Stalin recommended to the Governor that the electricity portfolio held by Balaji be assigned to Thangam Thennarasu as an additional charge, and prohibition and excise to S Muthusamy — effectively keeping Balaji in the Cabinet as a minister without portfolio.
Stalin retained him in the Cabinet as a minister without portfolio, snubbing the Governor who asked for him to be dropped from the Cabinet.
Balaji is currently recuperating in a hospital after undergoing bypass surgery.
(With PTI inputs)
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