Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has been forced to make a U-turn on his earlier order announcing the sacking of the jailed minister V Senthil Balaji.
In his latest U-turn, the governor said that he was withdrawing his earlier order on the advice of Home Minister Amit Shah, who has reportedly asked him to seek legal opinion from the Attorney General of India.
Balaji was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged involvement in the cash-for-jobs scandal.
The Enforcement Directorate is a financial probe agency by the Centre’s Narendra Modi government, while the government in Tamil Nadu is headed by the BJP’s rival, MK Stalin.
In his original order, which stunned everyone, Ravi had announced Balaji’s sacking from the council of ministers saying that the jailed minister was ‘facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption, including taking cash for jobs and money laundering.’
His action had caused uproar as legal experts reminded the governor that he had no powers to dismiss a minister as it was the sole prerogative of the chief minister.
In his second order, Ravi said, “…I have been advised by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Home Affairs that it would be prudent to seek the opinion of the Attorney General also. According, I am approaching the Attorney General for his opinion. Meanwhile, the order of dismissal of the minister Thiru V. Senthil Balaji may be kept in abeyance until further communication from me.”