TN BJP Urges CM Stalin to Dismiss Minister Senthil Balaji Following SC Remarks
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Chennai, Dec 3 (NationPress) Tamil Nadu BJP state vice president and senior leader Narayanan Thirupathy has urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to swiftly remove state Power Minister Senthil Balaji from the cabinet.
In a recent post on the social media platform X, Thirupathy criticized the Chief Minister’s choice to reappoint Balaji amidst ongoing legal issues.
The post highlighted the Supreme Court’s recent comments expressing unease regarding Balaji’s return to the Tamil Nadu government following his bail in a money laundering case tied to a cash-for-jobs scam.
On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to review a petition that raised concerns about possible interference with witnesses in the ongoing case.
A bench including Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih questioned the decision, stating, “We granted you bail, and just days later, you take on the role of a minister. It's natural for anyone to think that your position as a senior cabinet minister could pressure witnesses. What is happening here?”
Thirupathy pointed out that this inquiry from the Supreme Court was aimed at Chief Minister Stalin.
In his post, the BJP leader remarked, “Is Senthil Balaji the cause of this inquiry? No. This question is aimed at Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. It’s not Balaji’s fault for being reinstated as a minister; the true issue is why Stalin brought him back.”
Thirupathy further mentioned that as a “responsible chief minister,” Stalin should have refrained from reinstating Balaji until the legal matters against him were settled.
He highlighted that Balaji had been in custody for over 400 days, primarily due to concerns he might influence witnesses in the case.
Thirupathy also recalled that five years ago, Stalin had criticized Balaji when he was not affiliated with the DMK, accusing him of corruption and demanding accountability.
“The Chief Minister must heed the Supreme Court’s concerns and remove Senthil Balaji from the cabinet without delay. This is the only sensible action for a responsible leader,” Thirupathy asserted.
The BJP leader emphasized that allowing Balaji to hold a ministerial position diminishes public trust in the integrity of the government.
