AMN / NEW DELHI
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal has been appointed the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios.
Mr Meghwal will replace Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. According to the Rastrapati Bhavan communique, Mr Rijiju who was serving as Law and Justice Minister will now hold the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences. President Droupadi Murmu allocated the portfolios to these Ministers on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, took a swipe at Kiren Rijiju who was on Thursday moved from the law ministry to the relatively lower profile Ministry of Earth Sciences, calling him a “failed law minister”.
Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel has been assigned as Minister of State in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry. According to the Rastrapati Bhavan communique, the President as advised by the Prime Minister has allocated the portfolio.
Prof. Baghel was serving as Minister of State in the Law and Justice Ministry.
Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal was assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju who was serving as Union Minister for Law and Justice will hold the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore described Rijiju, who was routinely vocal against the collegium system of judicial appointments, as a “failed law minister” while veteran lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said it was not easy to understand the science behind the laws.
“The failed law minister moves… In Earth Science what he can do? Hope Arjun Ram Meghwal acts in a dignified manner as law minister,” Tagore said in a tweet.
Sibal, a former law minister, said, “Not law, now Minister for Earth Sciences. It is not easy to understand the science behind the laws. Now (he) will try to grapple with the laws of science. Good luck my friend!” Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi dwelt on the possible reasons behind Rijiju being moved to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, wondering if the recent Supreme Court judgment on Maharashtra was a cause.