K Ponmudy's conviction may lead to more escalation between the Tamil Nadu government and the Raj Bhavan | Twitter Photo/@KPonmudiMLA
Stalin vs Governor Ravi: Ponmudy conviction becomes latest flashpoint
As HC sets aside acquittal of Minister K Ponmudy, Governor Ravi advises Stalin to sack him from council of ministers
A day after the Madras High Court set aside the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his spouse P Visalakshi by a lower court and convicted them in a disproportionate assets case, Governor N Ravi on Wednesday (December 20) advised Chief Minister MK Stalin to sack the minister from his council of ministers.
Ponmudy’s conviction has come at a time when the Tamil Nadu government is locked in a legal battle with Ravi in the Supreme Court and the conviction may further add to the chasm between the DMK government and the gubernatorial office.
According to media reports, Ravi has asked Stalin to drop Ponmudi from his cabinet with immediate effect after his conviction by the high court. However, his sacking is unlikely as Ponmudi may file an appeal with the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu to suspend his sentence. The Speaker may allow it and give Ponmudi an opportunity to move the Supreme Court to challenge his conviction.
Justice G Jayachandran of the High Court, who is hearing the case, will pronounce the sentence on Thursday (December 21). The DMK leadership is well aware of the fact that if the high court convicts him for two years, Ponmudi may immediately lose his status as a legislator. “But we have options in the Supreme Court,” Saravanan Annadurai, DMK spokesperson, said.
Unaccounted wealth
The disproportionate assets case against Ponmudi was brought before a lower court by the AIADMK in 2011, alleging that the minister had amassed unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 1.75 crore during his tenure in the earlier DMK government between 2006 and 2011. The principal district judge of Villupuram had acquitted Ponmudy and his wife in June.
However, Justice N Anand Venkatesh, exercising powers to revise the decisions of subordinate courts, reopened the case on August 10, which resulted in the conviction as the high court said it did not find sufficient evidence to prove their innocence.
Political observers believe that the conviction will lead to more sparring between the state government and Ravi, whose sitting on the bills passed by the Assembly has not gone down well with the apex court. “We would like the Governor to resolve the impasse... invite the Chief Minister... sit down and discuss,” the Supreme Court observed in its order earlier this month. The state government has approached the top court accusing Governor Ravi of "undermining the elected administration".
