AIADMK stages protest demanding to drop Senthilbalaji

CHENNAI: The prime opposition party, the AIADMK, in the state has launched a state-wide protest on Wednesday demanding the DMK government drop minister V Senthilbalaji, who has been arrested in the Enforcement Directorate under the anti-money laundering case, from the cabinet.

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami would participate in the protest in Salem, while former minister and party organising secretary D Jayakumar in Chennai.

Senior leaders Dindugal C Srinivasan, K A Sengottaiyan, S P Velumani, P Thangamani, C Ve Shanmugam, R B Udhayakumar and other leaders would participate in the protest in their respective district headquarters. They would also flag the prevailing law and order.

The ED conducted an inquiry for nearly 18 hours from early hours of June 13 in connection with the ‘cash-for job’ scam, which originated from J Jayalalithaa’s regime between 2011-2015. It resulted in the arrest of Senthilbajali during the early hours of Wednesday last. However, he was admitted to the TN government multi-super specialty hospital with chest pain.

Since the arrest of the minister, the leaders of the AIADMK insisted that the minister should resign from the ministership on moral ground. If not, Chief Minister M K Stalin drop him from the cabinet. A delegation of AIADMK leaders - C Ve Shanmugam, D Jayakumar, C Vijaybaskar and P Benjamin - called on Governor R N Ravi on June 15 and submitted a memorandum signed by the LoP, urging him to take necessary action to remove Senthilbajali from the cabinet.

The Governor, in a communication, insisted the DMK government remove Senthilbajali from the cabinet. However, the DMK government rejected his recommendation and retained him as minister without portfolio. Citing the health condition of Senthilbalaji, the CM handed over electricity to finance minister Thangam Thennarasu and prohibition and excise portfolio given to Housing and urban Development minister Muthusamy.