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With the ongoing conflict between Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and the state’s DMK government coming to a head on Thursday night, following Ravi’s controversial decision that Dismissal of Minister of State Senthil BalajiThe prime minister, MK Stalin, said Rafi had “no authority” to issue such an order, although the DMK said it was examining legal options.
Stalin said: “The ruler has no power to dismiss a minister … We will deal with this matter legally.”
The dismissal order was later “put on hold” pending legal advice.
Late Thursday, Stalin held talks with senior DMK leaders and legal experts. P. Wilson, senior barrister and DMK MP, among those advising the party on constitutional matters, told The Indian Express that Ravi’s order was “null and void…a scrap of paper”. He said, “It has no obligation on CM.”
When asked about available legal remedies, Wilson said the DMK is considering all options before focusing on one.
While the confrontation between the state government and Ravi is not new, relations have reached a critical point in a series of clashes this year. Earlier in the year, Ravi suggested that “Tamizhagam” is a “proper” name for Tamil Nadu. His statement sparked controversy over the governor’s right to propose a different name for the state. Besides the DMK’s rejection, it drew strong reactions even from the opposition AIADMK, the BJP’s ally in the state.
The word ‘Nadu’ in ‘Tamil Nadu’ has been a sore point for a section of people in the state, as many believe it means ‘country’, when in fact it means ‘geographical boundary’ – or ‘land’.
Ravi eventually relented and issued an explanation, but only after a clash with the state government, including a situation that forced him to withdraw from the assembly.
Ravi then surprised many when he explained his interpretation of the governor’s authority to withhold the bill, describing it as a euphemism for disapproval. As the DMK and several parties in the state, including the AIADMK, issued statements, complaining that Ravi’s positions often ran counter to the spirit of cooperative federalism inherent in governance in India, the situation became even more tense when he stalled several bills passed by the state assembly. This led to an unprecedented decision that was moved against by Stalin, who accused the ruler of undermining the dominance of the legislature.
Stalin later appealed to all non-BJP member states to pass similar resolutions in the assembly, citing the erosion of cooperative federalism.
In May, Ravi sparked controversy by making unverified allegations about the issue of child marriage and abuse of the infamous two-finger test. The police and the state health department had to intervene and address the allegations. Subsequent evidence refuted the ruler’s earlier claims about the controversial issue of child marriage involving the priests of the Chidambaram Nataragar Temple.
In June this year, Ravi stated at an event that state identities in India were the result of administrative convenience, not the preservation of culture. His dismissal of state identities as “imaginary” — and his criticism of the resulting “divisional psychology” — drew a sharp rebuke from DMK.
Parties on both sides of the political spectrum in the state are likely to use Thursday’s initial decision to sack Balaji. As AIADMK, a former Minister of State, told The Indian Express, “Each party will look for an advantage in this crisis. But it is the state that will bear the brunt of such political issues.”
By comparing the series of events that occurred during the AIADMK government between 2016 and 2021, he indicated the fragile situation in which Stalin finds himself. “Stalin’s position is increasingly uncertain. His move to transfer his intelligence chief after inquiries from the center about complaints against him is one of many examples. Balaji’s continued detention and delays in his interrogation by EM put Stalin in a bind,” said the AIADMK leader.
The AIADMK leader, who himself faced a search by a central agency, said that Stalin could not claim high morals by sacking Balaji from his government due to ongoing investigations against several ministers. “Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi, Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu, Raja Kanappan, Anita Radhakrishnan and E Periyasamy are all facing criminal charges or investigations, from vigilance, police or central agencies,” said the former minister. “The Udhayanidhi Stalin Foundation was recently raided. If Balaji is sacked on the grounds of criminal charges, it sets a precedent that could lead to sacking of these ministers as well.”
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