Tamil Nadu Ministers Senthilbalaji And K Ponmudy Resign From State Cabinet Amid Judicial Pressure

Chennai: Under fire from the judiciary two controversial Tamil Nadu ministers - Senthilbalaji and K Ponmudy - have resigned from the Cabinet. Governor R N Ravi accepted their resignations on the recommendation of Chief Minister M K Stalin.

Senthilbalaji, who held the plum portfolios of Electricity, Excise and Prohibition, was out on bail in an alleged money laundering case registered by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). The case pertained to alleged job racket that took place when he was the Transport Minister in the erstwhile Jayalalithaa cabinet. 

The Supreme Court had set a deadline for Senthilbalaji to decide if he wanted to continue as Minister while out on bail. He resigned a day before the court is to hear the case against him.

Ponmudy had drawn the ire of the Madras High Court which chose to suo motu take up a writ petition against him for having made obscene remarks equating the symbols of Saiivism and Vaishnavism with sexual positions. In his case too the court referenced the fact that he was out on bail in a corruption case in which the Supreme Court had suspended his conviction.

Incidentally, both Senthilbalaji and Ponmudy, were out of the Cabinet earlier after being arraigned in the respective cases. 

Stalin has reallocated their portfolios to three cabinet colleagues and also reinducted former Minister Mano Thangaraj.