Tamil Nadu Ministers Resign Amid Controversy, Portfolios Reallocated | India Information
Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Sunday accepted the resignations of controversy-stricken Electrical energy, Prohibition and Excise Minister V. Senthil Balaji and Forests and Khadi Minister Dr Ok. Ponmudy, on the advice of Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin, and reallocated their portfolios to different ministers.
“The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has advisable to the Governor of Tamil Nadu to simply accept the resignation of V. Senthilbalaji, Minister for Electrical energy, Prohibition and Excise and Dr Ok. Ponmudy, Minister for Forests and Khadi. The Governor has accredited the advice,” a Raj Bhavan communique stated.
The Governor additionally accepted the Chief Minister’s advice to reallocate their portfolios, it added.
Additionally Learn: DMK Removes Minister Ponmudy As Get together’s Deputy Normal Secretary Over ‘Vulgar’ Remarks In opposition to Hindu Gods
Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar has been given the extra portfolio of Electrical energy, whereas Housing and City Growth Minister S. Muthusamy has now been designated because the Minister for Housing and Prohibition & Excise. Milk & Dairy Growth Minister R.S. Rajakannappan would be the new Forests and Khadi Minister.
Chief Minister Stalin has additionally advisable the induction of T. Mano Thangaraj, the MLA from the Padmanabhapuram Meeting constituency, into the Cupboard, and the Governor has accredited the advice, the communique stated.
The swearing-in ceremony of Thangaraj will likely be held on the Raj Bhavan at 6 p.m. on Monday.
Senthil Balaji’s resignation got here after the Supreme Courtroom, in a tricky message to the senior DMK chief final week, instructed him to decide on between his ministerial publish and bail within the cash laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs rip-off.
A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and A.G. Masih cautioned Balaji that if he didn’t step down from his minister publish, it will recall its bail order, noting that the highest court docket had made a mistake by ignoring the judgments towards him.
“We grant bail, and the following day, you go and turn out to be a minister! Anyone will likely be certain to be below the impression that witnesses will likely be below strain,” the highest court docket had remarked in an earlier listening to, clarifying that its judgment granting bail required no interference on deserves.
The Enforcement Directorate had, on June 14, 2023, raided Balaji’s home and different locations in Chennai, Karur, and Coimbatore and interrogated him a few job for a money rip-off whereas he served because the Transport Minister within the AIADMK-led authorities. After a number of hours of interrogation, Balaji was arrested and despatched to judicial custody.
Even because the opposition demanded the fast elimination of Balaji from the ministry, Chief Minister Stalin didn’t succumb to the strain. Nevertheless, Balaji lastly tendered his resignation on February 12, 2024, eight months after his arrest and forward of his bail plea listening to within the Madras Excessive Courtroom. After the Supreme Courtroom granted him bail, Balaji walked out of Puzhal Central Jail after 450 days and was inducted once more as minister on September 29 final yr.
Then again, Ponmudy had sparked off a significant row along with his controversial and vulgar remarks made at a celebration assembly earlier in April.
The remarks, reportedly made throughout a DMK employees’ assembly in Chennai, have been perceived as deeply offensive in the direction of the Shaivite and Vaishnavite communities, sparking widespread outrage, together with criticism from inside his social gathering.
The DMK eliminated him as its Deputy Normal Secretary on April 11.
The Madras Excessive Courtroom had additionally taken discover of his remarks.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh on April 17, questioned Ponmudy concerning his derogatory public speech towards Saivites, Vaishnavites, and girls, and sought to know what felony motion had been initiated towards him by the state police.
The choose posed the questions through the listening to of a suo motu revision petition initiated in 2023 towards Ponmudy’s acquittal in a disproportionate belongings case.
Expressing displeasure over the minister’s remarks, Justice Venkatesh famous that such deprecatory feedback towards girls and non secular teams couldn’t be dismissed as mere slips of the tongue, particularly when video proof circulating on social media instructed they have been made with full consciousness.
