Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji undergoes surgery; Stable

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), underwent surgery for coronary artery blocks at the city’s Kaveri Hospital on Wednesday.

A medical bulletin issued by the hospital stated that the condition of the minister was stable.

As per the bulletin, the minister underwent beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery. Four bypass grafts were placed and coronary revascularization procedures were done. The coronary revascularization process as per medical terminology is for restoring the blood flow to the heart.

“He is hemodynamically stable and is being monitored in the postoperative cardio thoracic intensive care unit. A multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses are at the Intensive care unit monitoring him,” it read.

Notably, Balaji was one of the most powerful ministers of the M.K. Stalin cabinet and was in charge of Electricity, Excise and Prohibition. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) authorities in a case related to a job-for-cash scam that took place when he was transport minister in 2011-16 in the AIADMK government of J. Jayalalithaa.

Senthil Balaji had then shifted position and joined the DMK where he became a minister for Electricity, Excise and Prohibition.

The DMK and the BJP are engaged in a fight after the arrest of Senthil Balaji with the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin himself openly challenged the BJP.

BJP state secretary S.G. Suryah was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police for using defamatory terms against the Chief Minister.(IANS)