Ravi opposed his continuance in the Stalin-led cabinet as he was facing criminal proceedings (File Image: PTI)
Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in a cash-for-job scam and is currently hospitalized
On the recommendations of Chief Minister MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Friday re-allocated the portfolios of arrested State Minister V Senthil Balaji, among Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Housing Minister S Muthusamy. The Raj Bhavan said in an official statement, however, that the governor “does not agree” to continue Balaji as a minister in the cabinet.
With Balaji now becoming a minister without any portfolio, Ravi opts to continue in the Stalin-led cabinet as he faces criminal proceedings.
“Governor is not agreeable to the continuation of Thiru V Senthil Balaji as a member of the Council of Ministers as he is facing criminal proceedings for moral turpitude and is currently in judicial custody,” the statement said.
Reacting to Ravi’s move, DMK leader TKS Elangovan questioned the governor’s stand in the matter and said the allegations against Balaji could be false.
“Does the constitution allow him to say who should continue as a minister in the cabinet? The constitution does not say so. It is not his prerogative, it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to appoint ministers. He (V Senthil Balaji) is just an accused. No decision has been made on his charges. He is not guilty. The allegation may be false,” the DMK leader said.
portfolio allocation
The reallocation of portfolios comes a day after the ruling DMK accused Ravi of not accepting Stalin’s recommendation.
On Stalin’s recommendations, Balaji’s power, non-conventional energy development portfolio has been allocated to Finance Minister Thangam Thennarsu, while his subjects Prohibition and Excise, Molasses portfolio has been allocated to Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy.
Thennarau and Muthusamy will handle new portfolios in addition to their existing portfolios.
Balaji’s arrest
Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in a cash-for-job scam and is currently hospitalised. He appeared before the Chennai Metropolitan Sessions Court through video conferencing today.
The court rejected his bail plea and sent him to ED custody till June 23. The ED has summoned Balaji’s brother RV Ashok Kumar and others for questioning in the money laundering case next week.
The case against 47-year-old Balaji, who is the first member of the Stalin cabinet to be arrested by a law enforcement agency, and his aides pertain to his tenure as the state’s transport minister in the AIADMK government during 2011-15.
The arrests followed searches carried out by the ED in several cities on Tuesday at premises linked to Balaji in Tamil Nadu as part of its money laundering probe. The ED has taken this step after the May 16 order of the Supreme Court, in which the police and the ED were allowed to investigate the case.
The ED had registered a money laundering case in 2021 to probe these allegations and its complaint is based on three Tamil Nadu Police FIRs registered during 2018.
,with PTI inputs,