AIADMK Leaders Meet TN Governor, Demand Sacking Of Senthil Balaji As Minister

Earlier, AIADMK functionary petitioned ED, I-T Departments demanding to probe alleged corruption charges against Minister Udayanidhi and his brother-in-law Sabareesan.

Former AIADMK Ministers including Vijayabaskar, CVe Shanmugam and Jayakumar met Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and handed over a petition demanding to sack Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji from his post. The move comes after Senthil Balaji was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with cash-for-job scam. 

After the meet, AIADMK leader CVe Shanmugam said, "Even after 24 hours of his arrest, Senthil Balaji is continuing as MInister this is against consitituion. If he continues, then people will lose belief in the system. As soon as he was arrested he must have been removed from his post."

Meanwhile, joint secretary of AIADMK legal cell RM Babu Murugavel petitioned the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax and police to conduct a probe into the alleged corruption charges against TN Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and his brother-in-law Sabareesan. The joint secretary backed his complaint with a purported audio by TN IT Minister P Thiagarajan. In a purported audio tape allegedly of then Tamil Nadu finance minister, P Thiagarajan (PTR), there were allegations against Udayanidhi and Sabareesan.

Murugavel said, "In the video, the former finance minister seems to be allegedly confirming that minister Udayanidhi Stalin and his brother-in-law Sabreesan have jointly earned Rs 30,000 crore by way of misappropriation of public money and that the government was handicapped to handle the same."

The move of Murugavel comes after the arrest of Minister Senthil Balaji by ED in connection with a money laundering case. The Minister was arrested in a cash-for-job scam that took place allegedly while he was the Transport Minister in late CM Jayalalithaa's cabinet between 2011-2016. The arrest was made after ED raided Senthil Balaji's house and residence for 18 hours. 

Earlier, Tamil Nadu LoP and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “When our leader and former minister Jayakumar was arrested, he was imprisoned for 20 days. He was not even permitted to take medicines. Senthil Balaji is doing drama now. As a moral responsibility, should resign from his minister post.”