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Tamil Nadu governor accepts minister Senthil Balaji’s resignation
V Senthil Balaji, a minister without portfolio in the Tamil Nadu cabinet, has been dropped following his resignation. Balaji was arrested in a money laundering case and his resignation was accepted by the governor. The move comes ahead of a hearing for his bail plea in the Madras high court.
Chennai: V Senthil Balaji from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been dropped from the Tamil Nadu cabinet as a minister without portfolio after governor RN Ravi accepted his resignation on Tuesday. Balaji gave his resignation on Monday, eight months after his arrest in a money laundering case. Chief minister M K Stalin recommended the acceptance of the resignation and sent the file to Raj Bhavan on February 12.
“Based on the letter of the chief minister…Governor has approved the recommendation and accepted the resignation of Thiru V Senthil Balaji, minister from the Tamil Nadu council of ministers,” Raj Bhavan said in a statement on Tuesday.
The move comes ahead of the Madras high court’s hearing of Balaji’s bail plea on February 14. Previously, his bail was rejected by a trial court in the city. It is currently being heard by Justice Anand Venkatesh of the high court. On January 20, the justice observed that it does not augur well that he continues to be a minister despite being incarcerated for 240 days.
An enforcement directorate (ED) team arrested Balaji on June 14 last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in a 2014 case when he was the transport minister under the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government.
Following his arrest, he was hospitalised for chest pains and subsequently underwent heart surgery at a private hospital. He was discharged on July 17 and has since been jailed at Puzhal Central Prison. Later, Stalin reallocated his portfolios — electricity, excise and prohibition — citing his ill health and not his arrest.
Stalin continued to back Balaji even when the governor out of turn dismissed him from the cabinet in June, only to put the decision in abeyance a few hours later. Amid mounting criticism, DMK leaders maintained that Balaji need not be disqualified since he has not been found guilty.
