Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recommended Governor R.N. Ravi to accept the resignation of Minister V. Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a corruption case. This followed Senthilbalaji’s own resignation letter submitted to the Governor.
Prior to this, Chief Minister Stalin met with Governor Ravi for the third time in a week, accompanied by leaders from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). These parties pledged their support to the DMK government, demonstrating a united front against what they termed as the “misuse” of central investigation agencies by the BJP-led central government.
The CPI(M) State Secretary K. Balakrishnan stated that the meeting with the Governor was to convey their solidarity with the Tamil Nadu government and to highlight the alleged political vendetta being employed by the central agencies. He emphasized that the ED’s actions were aimed at destabilizing the state government.
The ED arrested Senthilbalaji in connection with a 2011 job-for-cash scam when he was a Transport Minister in the previous AIADMK government. However, the DMK and its allies argue that the timing of the arrest, after Senthilbalaji switched allegiance to the DMK and became a vocal critic of the BJP, is politically motivated.
The Governor initially hesitated to accept the resignation, reportedly seeking legal advice. However, after the third meeting and the unified pressure from the ruling coalition and supporting parties, he ultimately accepted Senthilbalaji’s resignation.
The situation has escalated political tensions in Tamil Nadu, with the DMK and its allies accusing the BJP of attempting to undermine the state government through the ED. The Governor’s initial reluctance and subsequent acceptance of the resignation underscore the complex political dynamics at play. The case continues to draw significant attention and debate within the state and nationally.
