Senthil Balaji dismissal: Amit Shah tells TN Guv to hold his horses; advices Ravi to seek legal opinion

The knee-jerk reaction from Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi was put on hold by Delhi bosses who suggested former to tread cautiously and take legal opinion before effecting his order dropping Senthil Balaji from MK Stalin's cabinet.

Hyderabad: Hours after writing to Chief Minister MK Stalin intimating about dismissal of his cabinet colleague Senthil Balaji, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi suspends his own orders on the advice of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Union Minister has adviced the figure head of state government to seek legal opinion before he proceeds further with his order dismissing a Cabinet Minister without the advice of the CM.

Ravi, in his letter, referred to his D.O. Letter no 0013/RBTN/2023 regarding the status of Minister without portfolio V Senthil Balaji. In this regard, I have been advised by the Union Minister of Home Affairs that it would be prudent to seek the opinion of the Attorney General also. Accordingly, I am approaching the Attorney General for his opinion. Meanwhile, the order of dismissal of the minister may be kept in abeyance until further communication from me, Ravi who signed in Hindi said.

Sources said the protocol is that the Governor will have to intimate the Home Ministry through which he reports to the President of India. When Ravi brought his act to the notice of Home Ministry which has its plate filled with issues related to Manipur, the Ministry sought the advice of Amit Shah.

Amit Shah is learnt to have suggested the former IPS official turned head of Tamil Nadu state to tread the issue with caution and take legal opinion. Toeing the Union Home Minister's line, Ravi set out a letter explaining the after thought developments in the dismissal of Senthil Balaji.

Earlier on Thursday, Ravi has sent a letter to Stalin taking exception to the latter's decision to retain Senthil Balaji in the cabinet. ...Your advice or to put it more appropriately your insistence to retain V Senthil Balaji against my advice as a member of the Council of Minsters reflects your unhealthy bias, Ravi opined.

There are reasonable apprehensions that continuation of Senthil Balaji as a Minister will continue to obstruct the due process of law and disrupt the course of Justice. Such a situation may eventually lead to breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the State, Ravi wrote in his letter, bearing a sermonising tone.