Chennai: The Supreme Court's posing question over the reinstatement of DMK's V Senthil Balaji in the M K Stalin-led Tamil Nadu Cabinet soon after he was granted bail in a money laundering case was actually 'directed' at the Chief Minister and he should sack his cabinet colleague immediately, the state BJP said on Tuesday.
TN BJP vice-president and party spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy pointed out to the apex court asking "what is going on," vis-a-vis Senthil Balaji's reinstatement and said the question was "directed" at the CM.
"Is Senthil Balaji the reason for this question? No. It is a question directed at Chief Minister M K Stalin. It is not Senthil Balaji's crime to have become minister. The question is why did you (Stalin) bring him back as a minister," Thirupathy said in a post on 'X.' As a "responsible chief minister", Stalin could have told Senthil Balaji that he would be made a minister "after coming out of the case," he said.
Senthil Balaji was behind bars for "over 400 days," as it was believed "he may pressure the witnesses," in the case, the BJP leader claimed. "That being the case, only CM Stalin has to answer why Balaji became minister again."
"The chief minister should understand what the SC has said and remove Senthil Balaji from the cabinet immediately. As a responsible chief minister only that should be done by him," he said. Thirupathy said the CM had been critical of Senthil Balaji five years ago, when the latter was not in the DMK, "calling him corrupt and then seeking action against him."
The Supreme Court had on Monday expressed concern over the reinstatement of Balaji as cabinet minister in Tamil Nadu just days after it granted bail in the money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam, and agreed to examine a plea raising apprehensions on the independence of witnesses in the case.
"We granted you bail and days after you go and become a minister. Anybody will be bound to be under the impression that now with your position as a senior cabinet minister, witnesses will be under pressure. What is this going on?" a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih had asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Balaji.
