Tamil Nadu: Governor's Letter To CM Stalin Asking Him To Keep Dismissal Of Senthil Balaji In Abeyance Came After Advice From Union Home Minister

Governor RN Ravi's communication to Chief Minister MK Stalin asking him to keep in abeyance his (Ravi's) earlier decision to dismiss Minister Senthil Balaji with immediate effect was due to advice from the Union Home Minister, according to letters accessed by NDTV.

The letter stated, "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. 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." 

In his earlier letter, sent a few hours before the second, Governor Ravi had mentioned the reasons for his decision.

In his first letter, he said, "I am conscious of the fact that under ordinary circumstances, a Governor acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. However, in the instant case your advice or to put it more appropriately your insistence to retain Thiru V. Senthil Balaji against my advice as a member of the Council of Ministers reflects your unhealthy bias."

Further, he wrote about certain observations made by the Courts in the case like the role of the investigation officer and the assault on Income Tax officers in Karur.

He concluded his letter stating,"There are reasonable apprehensions that continuation of V Senthil Balaji as a minister will continue to obstruct the due process of law and disrupt the course of justice. Such a situation may eventually lead to breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the state. Under such circumstances and the powers conferred to me under Articles 154, 163 and 164 of the Constitution, I hereby dismiss V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect."