Chennai: As Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s late evening flip-flop fuelled a debate over the Raj Bhavan’s powers, the BJP sought to take the excessive ethical floor within the row over DMK minister Senthil Balaji’s dismissal by highlighting Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin’s “doublespeak” on corruption.
BJP state chief Ok. Annamalai put up a tweet Friday stating that the get together “reserves” its feedback on the dismissal of Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers by Ravi.
However, Annamalai additionally took the chance to spotlight that Stalin had himself sought the scalp of Senthil Balaji over corruption expenses 5 years in the past when he was the opposition chief.
BJP Tamil Nadu, for now, reserves its feedback on the dismissal of Money for Job Rip-off Thiru Senthil Balaji from the council of ministers by the Hon Governor of TN.
Nonetheless, we wish to remind TN CM Thiru @mkstalin of his doublespeak.
In 2018, the then-opposition chief demanded… pic.twitter.com/AfJ3GF6QY3
— Ok.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 30, 2023
Whereas the Raj Bhavan launched an announcement Thursday evening saying Senthil Balaji’s arrest by the ED in an alleged cash-for-jobs rip-off was the explanation for his dismissal, the Governor later issued a letter placing his order in abeyance.
“I’ve been suggested by the Hon’ble Union Minister of House Affairs (Amit Shah) that it might be prudent to hunt the opinion of the Legal professional Basic additionally. Accordingly, I’m approaching the Legal professional Basic for his opinion. In the meantime, the order of dismissal of the minister Thiru V. Senthil Balaji could also be saved in abeyance till additional communication from me,” Ravi wrote in a second letter to CM M.Ok. Stalin.
ThePrint has a replica of the letter.
Although the BJP management in Tamil Nadu has all the time rooted for the Governor who has been at loggerheads with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) authorities, the newest step taken by Ravi has seemingly brought about embarrassment for the dispensation in Delhi.
“The Governor was given a late evening pep discuss by the House Minister and was suggested to hunt the Legal professional Basic’s opinion on the difficulty,” a senior BJP chief in Delhi instructed ThePrint.
“The Governor is the custodian of the Structure, however typically they overlook the rule e book, and go together with emotion. The Governor’s untimely motion has given the opposition an opportunity to hit out on the Centre.”
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK referred to as the Governor’s motion in addition to the strain mounted on the ruling get together within the state because the “BJP’s modus operandi” in opposition to the opposition-ruled states.
“These are steps to threaten political events and to make it troublesome for the federal government, which is from an opposition (get together). It (BJP) is hoping to seek out some small political area via this course of. They’ve all the time finished this to all these opposition events that don’t fall according to what they are saying, and we’re ideologically against them,” DMK deputy common secretary and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi instructed ThePrint.
“I feel it’s unusual that the Governor will go to this extent and behave like an additional constitutional authority with out the blessings of the Union authorities. Perhaps that is the primary time they’ve distanced themselves. In any other case, the BJP has all the time supported what the Governor has been doing and all that the Governors have been doing in all opposition states,” she mentioned.
If the Governor has acted on his personal accord with out the approval, Kanimozhi mentioned, the BJP then ought to come out and condemn it overtly. “Silence isn’t a solution,” she asserted.
Political analyst A.S. Panneerselvan, too, mentioned the Governor couldn’t have gone forward with out the blessing of the Union Authorities. “If the Governor has taken the choice with out consulting anyone, why no punitive motion in opposition to the federal government? That’s a key query. Isn’t it? The thought of shifting all the pieces on to the Governor; I feel it’s a simple means for the Union authorities to insulate itself,” mentioned Panneerselvan, a fellow at Chennai’s Roja Muthiah Analysis Library.
In Delhi, a BJP common secretary mentioned the get together has determined to pursue the narrative of corruption in opposition to the DMK authorities to make headway in Tamil Nadu.
“The BJP earlier didn’t get traction in Tamil media for our narrative, however the steady tour of our ministers, (and) Annamalai’s aggressive campaigning has modified our get together dynamics within the state. For any election, three issues are required — now we have a story of corruption, leaders and assets with alliance companions…we will win greater than 20 seats,” the senior chief mentioned.
The bigger technique of the BJP to make inroads into the state is not only via its drive in opposition to corruption, but additionally drawing on Tamil tradition and dynasty politics, the senior functionary added.
“The Sengol ceremony within the new Parliament, the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, the Saurashtra Tamil sangamam and the fixed reference of Tamil writing by the Prime Minister are all a part of breaking the animosity in the direction of the BJP in Tamil Nadu,” the BJP common secretary defined.
With inputs from Shanker Arnimesh
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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