TN Governor dismisses Minister Senthil Balaji from Cabinet
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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday dismissed Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers, Raj Bhavan said.
In an official release, Raj Bhavan said Senthil Balaji "is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption, including taking cash for jobs and money laundering. Abusing his position as a minister, he has been influencing the investigation and obstructing the due process of law and justice." Currently, he is in judicial custody in a criminal case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.
A few other criminal cases against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC are being investigated by the state police.
"There are reasonable apprehensions that continuation of V Senthil Balaji in the Council of Ministers will adversely impact the due process of law, including fair investigation that may eventually lead to breakdown of Constitutional machinery in the State," the release said.
"Under these circumstances, the Governor has dismissed Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect," the release added.
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NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani rejoins Town Hall after ABC reinstates Jimmy Kimmel
New York: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening that he is once again willing to participate in a local town hall hosted by ABC’s New York affiliate, after the network announced it would reinstate late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Earlier in the day, Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, had pulled out of the WABC-TV event to protest ABC’s suspension of Kimmel. “Last week, Disney/ABC caved to Trump administration pressure. Millions of Americans helped them find their backbone. Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech,” Mamdani wrote on X.
ABC suspended Kimmel last week following backlash over his comments on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Nexstar and Sinclair stations had said they would refuse to air Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened consequences if the network failed to act. Former President Donald Trump, who praised Kirk as a “great American hero,” applauded the suspension.
Kimmel’s remarks on his show had criticized those he said were seeking to “capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” The host has not issued a public statement since the controversy.
The suspension triggered an outcry over free speech, with more than 430 entertainment industry figures joining an ACLU-led letter denouncing the move as “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Mamdani, 33, had originally framed his withdrawal as a protest against corporate leadership, not local journalists, accusing Disney/ABC of “putting their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press.” After the reversal, he said his campaign was working with WABC to reschedule.
Mamdani will face former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the city’s November election.
