CHENNAI: Political parties on Thursday condemned the dismissal of minister V Senthil Balaji from the council of ministers without any recommendation to this effect from Chief Minister MK Stalin.
They called for intensifying the demand for the removal of Governor RN Ravi from Tamil Nadu.
Assembly Speaker M Appavu said, “If the CM asks on what grounds the governor has dismissed Balaji, Ravi cannot quote any legal provision since he has no power to do so. Just because a minister has been arrested and kept in judicial custody, the governor cannot dismiss him. The governor has sent this communique after visiting Delhi. I don’t know why the governor is adopting such a confrontationist attitude with the state government.”
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said the governor has exceeded all his limits by dismissing Balaji from the cabinet and it is an act of malice. Democratic forces should come together and intensify their demand for Ravi’s removal from the post, he added.
NTK leader Seeman said the governor’s action is the height of autocratic functioning.
“We agree that an investigation should be conducted against Balaji in a fair manner, and if found guilty, he should be punished. But the governor’s assault on the state’s sovereignty cannot be accepted,” said Seeman.
MMH president MH Jawahirullah said PDT Achary, former secretary general of the Lok Sabha, had already clarified that if a governor dismisses a minister on his own, it would be tantamount to running a parallel government which is against the Constitution. Strongly condemning the governor’s decision, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said Balaji’s dismissal was a mischievous act of Ravi to provoke the CM.