Day after SC rap, TN Governor administers oath to DMK's Ponmudi

Chennai, March 22 (IANS) Senior DMK leader K. Ponmudi, who had to resign from the M.K. Stalin ministry after a criminal conviction, was again sworn in as a minister on Friday. Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office to Ponmudi at the Raj Bhavan.Ponmudi had to step down after he was convicted by the Madras High Court in a disproportionate assets case and sentenced to three years in jail. As the Supreme Court stayed the judgment, Chief Minister Stalin recommended that Ponmudi be brought back to the cabinet but the Governor refused to administer the oath to him.The state government then moved the Supreme Court, which came down heavily on Ravi on Thursday. It asked why the Governor was opposing making him a minister even after its two-judge bench had stayed Ponmudi‘s conviction, and warned him that he was defying the Supreme Court.--IANSaal/vd

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