In a major political development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Senthil Balaji on Wednesday in connection with a bribery case involving the recruitment of transport department officials. The arrest sent shockwaves in the ruling party, as Balaji is considered to be a close aide of Chief Minister MK Stalin. According to sources, Balaji was taken into custody by the CBI after he appeared before the agency for questioning. He was later produced before a special court in Chennai, which remanded him to judicial custody till June 28.

The CBI had registered a case against Balaji and others in 2017 for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes from aspirants for various posts in the transport department between 2011 and 2016, when he was the transport minister in the previous DMK regime. The arrest of Balaji, who is also the DMK’s Karur district secretary and MLA from Aravakurichi constituency, triggered a political storm in the state. The opposition AIADMK and BJP demanded Stalin’s resignation, accusing him of shielding his party colleagues involved in corruption. They also alleged that Balaji’s arrest was a tip of the iceberg and that more skeletons would tumble out of the DMK’s closet.

Meanwhile, Stalin convened an emergency meeting of his cabinet at his residence to discuss the situation and devise a strategy to counter the opposition’s attack. Sources said that Stalin expressed his displeasure over Balaji’s arrest and instructed his ministers to maintain a clean image and avoid any controversy. He also reportedly assured them that the party would stand by Balaji and provide him legal assistance. The arrest of Balaji is seen as a setback for Stalin, who came to power in May with a massive mandate and promised to deliver good governance and transparency. It remains to be seen how he will handle this crisis and restore the confidence of the people in his administration.

—

#mindvoice #mindvoicenews #currentaffairs #currentnews #latestnews #ipsc #iaspreparation #UPSC #cbi #dmk #stalin #balaji #bribery #corruption #tamilnadu #politics #transport #arrest #court #opposition