Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin welcomed his "brother" and former minister, Senthil Balaji, following the Supreme Court's decision to grant him bail in the money laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam. Senthil Balaji, who had been in jail for 471 days, received bail from the apex court, bringing an end to his prolonged imprisonment.
Expressing his relief and support, CM Stalin tweeted, "Brother @V_Senthilbalaji has been granted bail by the Supreme Court after 471 days. In this era where the Enforcement Directorate has been weaponized to suppress political opponents, the Supreme Court stands as the last beacon of justice."
Referring to the political pressure faced by Balaji, Stalin drew parallels to the Emergency period, stating, "Even during the Emergency, there were no jail terms as long as this. For 15 months, political conspiracies have continued. By arresting him and keeping him in jail, they attempted to break Brother Senthil Balaji's resolve."
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Stalin hailed Senthil Balaji's resilience, saying, "I welcome Brother Senthil Balaji, who is coming out of prison with renewed strength. Your sacrifice is remarkable, but your determination is even greater!"
DMK leader TKS Elangovan said, "When their (bjp) party members are arrested or accused of any charge no action will be taken. That is how the BJP government is conducting itself, they are misusing all the authorities that work under them..."
The case against Senthil Balaji stemmed from allegations of a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as the then Transport Minister during AIADMK regime. However, Senthil Balaji later joined DMK. The ruling party has consistently maintained that the case was politically motivated, targeting Senthil Balaji to weaken the DMK.
Meanwhile, the followers of Senthil Balaji celebrated his bail by bursting crackers in his hometown, Karur.