A day after Tamil Nadu Governor announced the dismissal of Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers (currently in abeyance), Chief Minister MK Stalin writes a letter to RN Ravi stating that the Governor has no power to dismiss the minister, news agency ANI reported.
In a blistering rebuttal to Governor RN Ravi's removal of State Minister V Senthil Balaji (now on hold), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin stated: "I reiterate that you have no power to dismiss my Ministers. That is the sole prerogative of an elected Chief Minister. Your unconstitutional communication dismissing my Minister without my advice is void ab initio and non-est in law and hence has been disregarded."
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu administration has chosen to "disregard" Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi's message expelling Minister V. Senthilbalaji from the Council of Ministers (the communication has subsequently been put on hold), Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced in Chennai on Friday. He claimed that the Governor's actions were illegal.
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On the evening of June 29, 2023, Ravi abruptly "dismissed with immediate effect" arrested Minister V. Senthilbalaji from the Council of Ministers, only to quickly reverse his decision late that night. In a subsequent communication addresed to the CM, Ravi stated that he had been directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek the advice of the Attorney General, and so the decision dismissing Minister Senthilbalaji may be postponed.
Senthilbalaji was apprehended on June 24 in a suspected money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate. Soon after his arrest, he was taken to the hospital and later had beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery at a private hospital in Chennai.