File photo: Former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji
NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji’s plea seeking clarification that the apex court had not barred him from holding public office saying that the order was very clear and he can file application in case he wants to be minister again.Balaji, who became minister just two days after the apex court had granted him bail, had to resign after the court strongly objected to his conduct and had asked him to choose between freedom and post. Though the order did not mention that he was barred from holding public office, he chose to approach court to seek clarification. But the court said that the order was very clear and no clarification was needed.Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Balalji, said the court cannot issue the mandate to bar a person from holding public office when he is not convicted and the apex court’s April order against the former minister should not be understood to convey that he cannot hold public office.The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, however, said that the very strong observation was passed by the court in its order for becoming minister two days after getting bail. “You file application in case you want to be minister,” the bench said.”There is nothing in order which requires clarification. The order is very clear,” the bench said.The bench also suggested that the trial in cash-for-job ‘scam’ be tranferred from Tamil Nadu to Delhi and sought response from the state which strongly objected to the idea. The apex court’s order in Balaji case had restored the convention that a person facing serious charges should not hold office till his name is cleared.
