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Balaji’s arrest latest flashpoint in Tamil Nadu govt-guv tussle
A political row broke out on Friday in Tamil Nadu over the continuation of arrested minister V Senthil Balaji, even as a Chennai court granted ED custody of the politician for eight days.
A political row broke out on Friday in Tamil Nadu over the continuation of arrested minister V Senthil Balaji, even as a Chennai court granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of the politician for eight days, but allowed the federal agency to question him only in the private hospital where he is undergoing treatment for heart-related issue.
In a statement, governor RN Ravi accepted chief minister MK Stalin’s suggestion to distribute Balaji’s portfolios between two other ministers after holding out for two days but added that he didn’t agree to the arrested politician’s continuation in the state cabinet. Under the law, the governor has no say in this regard, which is the domain of the chief minister. “Order has also been issued for Mr V Senthil Balaji to continue as Minister Without Portfolio,” the statement said.
The governor “has not agreed to Thiru V Senthil Balaji continuing any longer as a Member of the Council of Ministers, as he is facing criminal proceedings for moral turpitude and is currently in Judicial custody,” it added.
On June 14, ED arrested Balaji over money laundering charges in a 2011-2015 corruption case. Hours later, he was admitted to a Chennai hospital, where doctors recommended an immediate heart surgery. Since then, he has remained in hospital.
In the afternoon of June 14, citing Balaji’s health condition, Stalin sent a file to the governor, informing him that Balaji’s portfolios will be re-allocated to two other ministers. But around 6pm, Ravi returned it, stating that Stalin’s reasons were misleading and incorrect. Immediately, Stalin called for a meeting and sent another file to the governor, pressing him to accept the portfolio changes. On Friday, Ravi accepted the changes.
Finance minister Thangam Thenarrasu and housing minister S Muthusamy will handle Balaji’s two important portfolios - electricity and prohibition, and excise - respectively.
But his statement disapproving of Balaji’s continuation sparked another controversy.
A governor or anyone has no right under the Constitution to decide on cabinet portfolios which is the prerogative of a CM, said Tamil Nadu speaker M Appavu. “Unless an elected representative is convicted, they wouldn’t have to be removed.” Even as the political row brewed, principal district judge S Alli ordered eight-day ED custody for Balaji, who appeared via-video conferencing.
“He opposed it (being shifted from judicial custody to ED’s custody), telling the judge that his surgery is being fixed and he is unwell,” said Balaji’s counsel and DMK spokesperson A Saravanan. “His surgery will be performed in another 3-5 days.”
“Based on our concern that ED officials may take him out of the hospital, the judge ordered that he has to be investigated inside the hospital,” added Saravanan.
After 18 hours of questioning, ED arrested Balaji under the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA) on June 14 at 1:39 am. Complaining of chest pains, Balaji was admitted to the Omandurar government hospital after 2.30 am where doctors recommended a by-pass surgery after diagnosing three blocks in his heart. On June 14, Balaji was remanded under judicial custody but allowed to stay in the hospital. On June 15 night, Balaji moved to the Kauvery hospital after a nod from the Madras high court.
Kauvery hospital also advised a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery for Balaji who is in the ICU with cardiac monitoring, a medical bulletin from the hospital said on Friday.
The allegations against Balaji date back to 2011-15 when he was the transport minister in the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government. The complaints against him had alleged that he had taken money from candidates in return for promised jobs. Many candidates did not get jobs despite allegedly paying bribes, the complaints had alleged. After the allegations, Balaji was dropped from the cabinet and he quit AIADMK after former chief minister J Jayalalitha’s death in 2016. He joined the DMK in December 2018.
In May, the Supreme Court allowed ED to continue its money laundering investigations in the alleged job scam overruling a Madras high court order of 2022. Balaji was arrested two weeks after the income-tax (I-T) department raided over 40 places across in Tamil Nadu linked to the minister.
