Why Did TN Governor Accept Resignations of Two Ministers?

Chennai, April 27 (NationPress) Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi accepted the resignations of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise Minister V. Senthil Balaji and Forests and Khadi Minister Dr K. Ponmudy on Sunday based on the recommendation of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. In addition, their portfolios have been reassigned to other ministers.

According to a communication from Raj Bhavan, "The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has recommended to the Governor of Tamil Nadu to accept the resignation of V. Senthilbalaji, Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise and Dr K. Ponmudy, Minister for Forests and Khadi. The Governor has approved the recommendation."

The Governor also endorsed the Chief Minister's proposal to redistribute their portfolios.

Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar will now also oversee Electricity, while Housing and Urban Development Minister S. Muthusamy has been appointed as the Minister for Housing and Prohibition & Excise. Milk & Dairy Development Minister R.S. Rajakannappan will take over as the new Minister for Forests and Khadi.

Chief Minister Stalin has also put forth the proposal to include T. Mano Thangaraj, the MLA from the Padmanabhapuram Assembly constituency, in the Cabinet, which the Governor has ratified. The swearing-in ceremony for Thangaraj is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday at Raj Bhavan.

Senthil Balaji's resignation follows a stern warning from the Supreme Court last week, which told him to choose between his ministerial position and bail related to a money laundering case connected to an alleged cash-for-jobs scandal.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and A.G. Masih cautioned Balaji that refusal to resign would result in the revocation of the bail order, emphasizing that the court had made an error by not considering the judgments against him.

In an earlier hearing, the court remarked, "We grant bail, and the next day, you go and become a minister! Anyone would be left with the impression that witnesses could be pressured."

The Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids on Balaji's residence and other locations in Chennai, Karur, and Coimbatore on June 14, 2023, interrogating him about a job-for-cash scheme during his tenure as Transport Minister in the previous AIADMK-led government. Following hours of questioning, Balaji was arrested and placed in judicial custody.

Despite opposition calls for Balaji's immediate dismissal, Chief Minister Stalin maintained his position. Ultimately, Balaji submitted his resignation on February 12, 2024, eight months post-arrest and prior to a bail plea hearing in the Madras High Court. After receiving bail from the Supreme Court, he was released from Puzhal Central Prison after 450 days and reinstated as minister on September 29 last year.

Meanwhile, Ponmudy stirred controversy with crude remarks made at a party meeting in early April, which were deemed offensive to the Shaivite and Vaishnavite communities, igniting public outrage and criticism from within his own party.

The DMK expelled him from his position as Deputy General Secretary on April 11.

The Madras High Court has also taken notice of Ponmudy's comments, with Justice N. Anand Venkatesh questioning him about his derogatory remarks against Saivites, Vaishnavites, and women, and inquiring what legal actions had been initiated against him by the state police.

During a hearing related to a suo motu revision petition from 2023 concerning Ponmudy’s acquittal in a disproportionate assets case, Justice Venkatesh expressed discontent over the minister’s comments, asserting that such disparaging statements against women and religious groups could not be dismissed as mere slips of the tongue, especially given the video evidence circulating on social media.