Officials in Stalin’s office late on Thursday confirmed the governor asked for the plan to be kept in abeyance, pending the attorney general’s opinion.
Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi put the order dismissing arrested minister V Senthil Balaji in abeyance after Union home minister Amit Shah asked him to also seek the attorney general’s opinion on the matter.
In a letter to chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday, Ravi said Shah advised him that it “would be prudent” to also seek the opinion. “Accordingly, I am approaching the Attorney General for his opinion. Meanwhile, the order of dismissal of the minister…Balaji may be kept in abeyance until further communication from me,” said Ravi in the letter, a copy of which HT has seen.
Ravi on Thursday dismissed Balaji from the council of ministers before backing down later at night amid criticism from the state government, which maintained the governor has no authority to do so.
Officials in Stalin’s office late on Thursday confirmed the governor asked for the plan to be kept in abeyance, pending the attorney general’s opinion.
Federal agency Enforcement Directorate on June 14 arrested Balaji over money laundering charges dating back to 2014 when he was transport minister in the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government.
Balaji, who joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 2018, collapsed on the day of his arrest. He later underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass on June 21 and has been hospitalised since.