Senthil Balaji's removal: Tamil Nadu guv says approaching AG on Amit Shah's advice

After dismissing Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet, governor R N Ravi wrote to chief minister MK Stalin that he will be seeking legal advice from the attorney general on the advice of Union home minister Amit Shah and that the order may be kept in abeyance.

“In this regard 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,” the letter reads.

“Accordingly, 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.”

Balaji was arrested in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam case.

"In an official release, Raj Bhavan earlier said, "Minister V Senthil Balaji is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of corruption cases including taking cash for jobs and money laundering...Under these circumstances, Governor has dismissed him from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect."

The order drew flak from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and several non-BJP parties, saying he does not have the right to do so.

Speaking to reporters in the wake of the arrest of the fellow DMK leader, CM Stalin said, "Governor doesn't have the right (to dismiss a sitting minister) and we will face this legally."

DMK leader A Saravanan accused the Governor of undermining the Constitution, saying that the order, dismissing Balaji from the state's council of ministers, is not even worth the paper it was drafted on.

"Who does the Governor thinks he is? Does he have the constitutional authority (to dismiss Senthil Balaji)? The Governor is undermining the constitution. He is catering to the Sanatan Dharma. The law of the land isn't determined by the Sanatan Dharma. For a Governor, the constitution should be the Bible, Gita, and Quran. He is acting like a clown, trying to appease his political masters. His order isn't even worth the paper it was drafted on. It must be consigned to the dustbin," the DMK leader said.

Former Union minister and Congress leader Manish Tewari criticised the arbitrary move and tweeted "Article 164 of COI “The chief minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister... Since Ministers are appointed on advice of CM they can be removed ONLY on advice of CM Unconstitutional Gov.”

The supporters of the DMK put up wall posters across Chennai raising questions to the governor and alleging that there are Union ministers who are still in the cabinet with several cases registered against them.