Hello and welcome to News Break at seven this Friday evening. I'm Peter Agar and the top political focus in South India today is the tamer governor AEN Rabi. Has he gone too far? Last evening, the governor threatened to set off another major confrontation with the state government when, in an unprecedented move, he unilaterally sent out a letter sacking State Minister Sanil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on corruption allegations. There was a strong response from Tamer Chief Minister MK Fallon, and the state government would challenge the order legally, averting what could have led to an embarrassing constitutional and political confrontation. The union home minister intervened in the matter, and the governor backtracked and released a second letter keeping and obey his order to further legal opinion from the attorney general. In his first letter, the governor had cited the case against the arrested minister and that he's exercising his powers under articles 154 163 and 164 to dismiss him without the chief minister's consent. In a second letter, he wrote, and I quote, I have been advised by the Union Home Minister Honourable Union Home minister that it would be prudent to seek the opinion of the attorney general. The DMK has decided to ignore both letters and even the state BJP unit President Karna Malai did not take an open stand in support of the governor's decision and instead chose to focus on the corruption allegations. Let's listen in to all the reactions that came in from Taber. He doesn't want to conduct himself in accordance with the constitution. So the honourable chief minister has rightly disregarded. His letter has rightly show the place where it has to be. The home minister has written a letter to him. I think I don't know whether he has written a letter to him or has called and told him. But he quotes that the Home minister has told him to get the advice of the attorney general. According to US, 1 may not get an advice from the attorney general. If you read the Constitution Article 164 that is itself sufficient. A leader, the honourable chief minister, now as opposition leader, has categorically requested the honourable governor, then in 2016 and 18 to dismiss a minister from the A government. Now in 2023 he calls this a constitutional crisis. It is a bound and duty of chief minister of Tamil Lado to keep his cabinet neat and clean, which is not doing it. So now the question of whether the governor has got powers are no powers. We don't want to get into that since the governor has chosen to go to the Attorney General and take his opinion and get back to us. So B JP, Tamil Lado, We choose to reserve our comment on this particular issue. So what we are trying to do is bringing out what Mr M Ken has spoken at different points of time and what Supreme Court has given judgments at different points of time. Remember, this is not the first time that you've had a confrontation between the governor and the Tana DMK government. It's been going on for many months now and has it hit a new low? Has governor taken things too far this time? That's the question we're asking this evening, joining us Live from Chennai, Nara and the BJP spokesperson from Tana TK and senior leader of the DMK former Raja Saba MP as well. And also in Vasuda goal. She joins us live as well. Vasuda first to you. How is the centre viewing this consistent and constant friction between the Governor Raj Bahan in Chennai and the state government and this decision? How does the centre see this playing out? Are they in backing of the governor, or are they uneasy about these decisions? Um, so we know when it comes to Tamil Nadu, the B JP is very mindful of two things. Identity and language. Both of these issues are extremely touchy topics, and the B JP has been very sensitive and careful of not hurting sentiments. And it also finds itself in a spot at times. Uh, it's not, um it's not unusual for us to see B JP, uh, governments. Um, you know, in opposition ruled states, we don't. We We have seen this often that governors are at odds with the chief ministers, but, you know, the B JP will like it if it is actually paying off political dividends. So we saw that in Bengal, you know, Jade hanker. Who's the vice president now? He was the governor earlier, and he spoke a lot about political violence just a year before the elections. And actually that in a way probably also helped build sentiment for the B JP. I'm not sure if that is happening in Tamil Nadu, Which is why I also think that the central leadership of the B JP will be far more careful in supporting a move like this. Tamil Nadu has been a focus of their expansion universe for a long time. Because it's also an ideological, you know, ideological battle for them. If you see with the single, uh, outreach or with, um, Kashi, Tamil Sanam. Uh, there is an attempt to attract the pious Tamil voters to the BP, of course, with General also, uh, not alive anymore. Uh, but So while the BJ P and the Prime Minister especially have been focusing on this, they wouldn't want anybody to sort of, uh, uh, put any, um, sort of standard in the works when that outreach is concerned. So I'm not really sure if, uh, the governor's move here has the support of the centre, which is why probably, uh, there was also, you know, uh, the move was also put in put on hold, and there was some, some sort of a rethink that's happening. But let's also remember that the B JP strategy is constantly evolving and, uh, the day, the day the party also strengthens its organisation. It would probably go for a direct confrontation, but probably at this time and it's relying on allies more. It will probably try to avoid these direct and constant flare ups. Right? It will be interesting to watch what the centre does with the governor or how this plays out in the coming days. But let's get to the political debate now. Nay of the BJP and from the DMK. Mr Tripathy, first to you, is it becoming difficult to defend the governor even for the state BJ P unit? Would you like to refrain from commenting on the decision to dismiss a minister unilaterally by a governor, which is seen as unprecedented by experts and may not have stood the test of law? Now what is difficult. There is absolutely nothing because there is not the government, whether the central or I asked for a legal opinion, that so. That is why we said since legal implications are there, our state very clearly said that we reserve the comments on this, but we need to understand the the political debate for the last almost 24 hours remains this case. What? Why is that happened? See, we need to understand. That was filmed as a fraud. And the baby present the chief minister and they then Stalin. When Mr Stalin says that what the government said, what the government did was unconstitutional. Then it was the same Mr Stalin who had demanded the resignation. I mean, dismissal of, uh, you know, Mr Bhaskar during First of September 2008 and 8:39 p.m. he has tweeted. You can see that. So throughout the month, at least 34 times he has demanded the dismissal of the then ministers and also the D GP. We need to understand not only the, uh, ministers, the D GP of the state of when it was not unconscious in 2018. How will it become unconscious in 2023? I don't agree with because she is everything as a political thing. No, it is not. So this is the thing is that biology is a fraud. And the chief, according to Mr Stale, should have been dismissed, We understand is that he should have been dismissed. We'll get to the corruption conversation. But let me first focus on the larger issue that was sparked off by the governor's decision First, and then we'll get to the corruption conversation. TK Lango What's next? As far as the DMK is concerned, this confrontation has gone on repeatedly. What does the party plan to do next? See, the problem is that the Constitution does not give the power to the government to remove a minister. What our friend said, Stalin asked at that time to remove the minister. That doesn't mean that Dalin wanted the government to do it, that Stalin wanted the governor to advise the chief minister to take him out of the Cabinet. That that is the We are we are. We had pleaded with the governor to remove him. That's all. That doesn't mean that governor can do it. The contusion says the ministers are appointed under the advice of the chief minister. That is what article 1 64 1 says, so that should be the thing the governor cannot appoint. Minister on his own. Governor cannot remove ministers on his own. He's not an elected person. It is the state government and the chief minister of the elected legislator simply should decide on these matters. So the question when he asked our leader asked the governor earlier. Uh, he did not say that you remove him. You said you ask the government that is put pressure on the government to remove him. That doesn't mean that he wanted the government to remove him. So they now that the government No, no, no, Mr Mr I, now that the Union Home Minister has intervened and the governor has backtracked on its order on his order, what next? The focus has to come down also to the allegations of corruption. Has that been completely diverted into an issue of constitutional confrontation between the Raj Bahan and the state government, where the core issue of corruption seems to be diluted? Would you agree? See, this is a charge. The court is the deciding authority. When there is a charge on anybody, you cannot say that he is convicted. It is for the court to decide. There are eight ministers in the Union cabinet who have corrupted charges, various charges against them, which you can see if you are a you would have seen depicting all these ministers, photos and names. They had so many charges. But all are, as ministers charge does not, uh, disqualify a person from becoming a minister. The only thing is that it should be He should be convicted by the court. Then automatically, he will go out. That is the way you You can't say that Since there is a corruption charges, he should be removed from the government. And and the governor has no he had. What he had done was he issued a statement that he is removing a minister from the Cabinet, which is unconstitutional. That is what we say. No, the point taken on that, Mr Nathi. By the governor's actions, he has only diluted the focus on the corruption allegations that are there. Instead, it has now turned into an issue of a Rajan versus State government. Would you agree that this is also perhaps an equally important issue to be addressed while you focus on corruption? There needs to be an explanation for that kind of an action. No, Mr the Governor. He welcomed what the government did yesterday. I would again like to reiterate the fact that Mr a very senior most politician in Tamil Nadu, he is trying to defend his party. Unnecessary? Mr. Stalin had demanded the dismissal of Mr uh by the governor himself. If you want, I can show all the you know, tweets. He is saying that he has only demand dismissal by the Chief Minister he has never mentioned he has very clearly said that the governor should dismiss. And now, coming into the fact of the case, he said that he is only an accused. Yes, he is an accused. I don't deny that he is not a convict, but what the Supreme Court has said. The Supreme Court has very clearly mentioned how all Mr Bala the the and also the Supreme Court has ordered for a special investigation team. And that is what the governor said, that as a minister saying to influence, he will influence he was influencing and he is influencing. This is what the Supreme Court has said very clearly in the so That is the reason the go to drop him from the Cabinet. But instead of doing that, the chief Minister also hidden the fact that he was arrested and mentioning that he will be portfolio minister because he is not well. So the governor took a decision. Maybe due to some legal, probably something for me. I mean, for legal opinion from the general. I think it's a matter of stated law that the governor should act on the advice of the Council of Ministers. And when a governor takes an action unilaterally, it has been questioned by experts across the board. I don't want to go into the constitutional aspect of it, primarily because it seems to be settled law. Even the governor himself has backtracked the order. So I don't understand why there is a need to perhaps go back into the first order which has been backtracked on. But let me get to the larger political question, Mr. TKZ, does this issue actually play more in favour of the DMK bolstering the regional sentiment when the governor takes an action like this while you while you may oppose it largely But at a political grassroots level, is it actually something that plays into an advantage for the DMK in the in the state? Yes, Mr TK Selan, Mr. While you oppose this on constitutional and legal grounds. Does this issue politically only benefit the DMK? See what happened. C PE a without consulting legal without a legal consultation The governor had acted. He had issued a statement Not he should have first consulted the legal people. And then how would have come out with this? It is the home Are advised him. That was the first release. What? What does that mean? That he has not. He did it on his own for his He is doing it so, sir, How can he do that, sir? All those All those points All those points are taken. Sir, The final question. All those points have been taken and reiterated There are several judgments in this aspect as well. I'm coming to the final point. What about moral responsibility In terms of corruption, given that there is a clip and there has been it is true that MK Stalin himself had made allegations against Sandel Balaji back when they were opponents. Today as chief minister, when there is such a serious charge, isn't the issue of corruption also something that needs to be focused and has this confrontation with the Raj woman successfully diluted Focus on that corruption issue. See what happened was the in the high court had already given a verdict on central ballad. This is the level they had gone to the Supreme Court. What the high court told they did not punish him. It was not an appeal appeal by the prosecutors, not by the victim or the accused. So they had gone on appeal which the high court decided in favour of pro ball? No, they have gone to my Supreme Court and I got an order. Now the matter is convicted, right? You're saying until the matter is decided by the courts, he is legally entitled to be a minister in the state government. You must Earlier he was He was Really? That's the point. Ok, point taken. Uh, thank you, Mr. I'm sorry. I'm afraid I've completely run out of time. This is there is no legal confrontation at the moment between the Raj Bahan and the State Secretariat given that the order has been backtracked but the political confrontation will continue. Thank you, Mr Narain thru for joining us Thank you for joining us as well
