The wife of V Senthil Balaji, a Tamil Nadu minister who was recently arrested, has submitted an affidavit to the Madras High Court claiming that the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief, K Annamalai, nursed a grudge against her husband. In the affidavit, S Megala accused Annamalai of perceiving Balaji as a direct threat in the political arena and of holding a personal vendetta against him. Balaji, who serves as the Minister for Electricity as well as Prohibition and Excise, was taken into custody on June 14th and hospitalized after complaining of chest pains. He was later transferred to a private hospital of his choice, following a directive from the Madras High Court, and a habeas corpus petition was filed regarding his arrest.
S Megala’s affidavit was filed as part of the habeas corpus petition, which questions the legality of her husband’s arrest and detention. The current ruling party in the union government is the BJP, of which Annamalai serves as the state president. Balaji ran for the Karur constituency in the 2021 elections, winning by a margin of approximately 12,400 votes and was also nominated as the DMK party in charge of the western region of Tamil Nadu. In her affidavit, S Megala claims that her husband’s success and growing political profile made him a target for Annamalai’s grudge.
The Madras High Court allowed Balaji to be transferred to a private hospital after his hospitalization on June 14th, and the Supreme Court refused to interfere with this decision earlier this month. Balaji’s arrest and hospitalization have sparked controversy, particularly with regards to the intentions behind his arrest and the alleged political vendettas that may have influenced it. The affidavit submitted by Balaji’s wife adds fuel to these rumors and raises concerns about the political climate in Tamil Nadu.
While the full extent of Balaji’s situation and the motivation behind his arrest are unclear, the affidavit submitted by his wife adds an additional layer of complexity to the events that transpired. The situation will continue to be closely monitored by those following Tamil Nadu politics, and the implications of Balaji’s arrest and hospitalization will likely continue to be discussed and debated in the coming weeks.
