Yes you can remove it only if you want to be banned, their are html and Css way that you can hide it not remove it and that is against google TOS if they see you and find out abou tthis then your banned.... dont try it be whatever your,
Why bother trying to remove it and risk getting banned. Are you trying to fool your visitors - credit them with a bit of sense. Surely everybody in the world recognises that adverts are adverts and they either want to click them or not. Next thing you know you´ll be back on dp complaining because google closed your account. Free tip - change your blog setting so that only 1 post shows per page.
Like everyone stated above, you can't and you shouldn't remove it. If your website received 1000 000 (1 million) pageviews a day, I stand to be corrected on this number, only then will Google allow you to customize the Adsense ads and remove the link. I had one such website a few years ago and was allowed to change the ad to suite my site and remove the Google backlink.
I dont think its violate google terms, as long as you still display ads by google. Many web master do this, removing default ads by google with custom css or text.