E-Paper
Oppn mounts pressure on TN govt, seeks Senthil Balaji’s removal
AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palanisami will be leading a statewide protest on May 22
The opposition is mounting pressure on the Tamil Nadu government to remove minister for electricity, prohibition and excise Senthil Balaji with the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announcing that they would appeal to the Governor to remove him from the ministry and their ally AIADMK deciding to go on a statewide protest against him.
Balaji has been facing the heat after the toll in the twin hooch tragedies increased to 22 and the Supreme Court allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to continue its probe against him in the cash-for-jobs scam in which he is accused of taking bribes to provide jobs when he was the transport minister (2011-2015) in the previous AIADMK government.
“On Saturday BJP’s women’s wing will protest across Tamil Nadu against illicit liquor,” BJP state president K Annamalai told reporters in Coimbatore after a party meeting held to discuss celebrations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing nine years in office. “This protest is a warning bell for the government,” said Annamalai who will join the protest in Chenani.
He alleged that the government through its Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has got people addicted to alcohol. “On the one had, alcohol is free flowing like water through TASMAC and those who have become addicts are going for illicit liquor. Our protest is against both these factors.”
On May 21, at 10am, the BJP will meet Governor RN Ravi in the Raj Bhavan to submit two memoranda. “The Governor has to directly involve himself and put a full stop to TASMAC and illegal liquor -- both are connected. If TASMAC is brought under control, illicit liquor can be brought under control. The BJP’s position is that TASMAC needs to be closed, but we are asking the Govenror to regulate it,” said Annamalai. “The second memorandum from us seeks that he dismiss Senthil Balaji from the council of ministers. After the Supreme Court’s order, he cannot continue as a minister. The Governor has to impress this upon the chief minister.”
AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palanisami, who met the hooch victims undergoing treatment in Villupuram, will be leading a statewide protest on May 22. In Chennai, they will march towards the Raj Bhavan to submit a petition to the Governor against the DMK government on various issues, including alleged deteriorating law and order, the party said in a statement.
Balaji had on Wednesday said that he’s being targeted for political reasons but he would cooperate with the ED probe. “He has not been found guilty and investigations are going on for which he is cooperating so why should he be removed?” asked a senior DMK leader without wishing to be named.
As many as 16 people in Villupuram district and six in Chengalpattu district died after they drank spurious liquor on Saturday night, and 50 others are still undergoing treatment in various hospitals. The government has said methanol was used in both instances.
