Senthil Balaji row: DMK may browbeat TN Guv; posters question whether Ravi would write to Delhi to drop Union Ministers

RN Ravi, the figure head of Tamil Nadu government sacked Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers without any advice from Chief Minister MK Stalin, attracting prompting a backlash.

Chennai:The ruling DMK will weigh all the options and legal factors to tackle Governor RN Ravi's knee-jerk reaction of removing Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet which was later put on hold by the state's figure head himself, sources said on Friday. The party brass may consult its leaders and office-bearers to devise a strategy --both legal and political-- on the matter, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, posters sprung up in the city, asking whether the Governor would write to his Delhi high command seeking to drop a set of union ministers who are facing a host of criminal cases, including heinous offences including murder and robbery. The poster also listed out the number of cases pending against the union ministers along with their portfolios and mugshots. Headlined as "A question to Guindy" and wanted to know whether "Guindy would write to Delhi." Guindy is an obvious reference to the Raj Bhavan, in Chennai, where the Governor's residence is located.

"The Governor has backtracked and he has been exposed thoroughly," an office-bearer told PTI adding all the political maneuvering of the BJP to target the DMK has been backfiring in Tamil Nadu. Sources said there was no need 'immediately' to look into legal aspects or consider anything else (such as the possibility of political interests over the dismissal and a counter-strategy to frustrate it), as the dismissal was now on hold.

On Thursday, hours after dismissing Balaji from the cabinet, Ravi had later kept it in abeyance. The DMK, may however consider weighing legal options to take on the Governor for his alleged excesses and fight the BJP politically at the right time and as and when warranted, sources added.

Senthil Balaji is an influential leader in the western Kongu region. He was previously with the AIADMK before joining the DMK years ago. Ravi's order dismissing Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet was placed under abeyance by the Raj Bhavan within hours following Union Home Ministry's intervention, the DMK said on Friday.

The ruling DMK organ 'Murasoli' said Ravi's dismissal directive was "put on hold within five hours as per the advisory of the Union Home Ministry." Briefly explaining the sequence of events on June 29 related to the dismissal order, the Tamil daily underscored the 'strong condemnation' it evoked from legal luminaries and party leaders.

The daily said by midnight 'information' came that the dismissal order was being held in abeyance for soliciting Attorney General's opinion on the matter. "It is noteworthy that the Governor's order was put on hold in five hours." In a late evening communication to the chief minister, the governor said he would consult the attorney general and seek his legal opinion about the move. The governor had explained the reasons for his removing Balaji from the cabinet.

The order to dismiss Balaji, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam and since hospitalised, from the Council of Ministers has been kept in abeyance by the governor until further communication. (with PTI inputs)