Kiren Rijiju has been replaced as the Minister of State, Law and shunted to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Arjun Ram Meghwal replaces him as minister with independent charge of the ministry.
The order to this effect was communicated today morning by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios, in place of Kiren Rijiju. The portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Kiren Rijiju: Rashtrapati…
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2023
Also Read: Kiren Rijiju shunted: 5 times ex-Law minister triggered row with remarks on Supreme Court
Rijiju, a three-time Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, was appointed as the Law Minister in July 2021 replacing Ravi Shankar Prasad. He has previously served as the Minority Affairs minister as well as the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Narendra Modi cabinet.
Reacting to the decision, Rijiju, 51, said that it was a privilege for him to have served as the Law minister and thanked the Chief Justice of India and all judges of the Supreme Court and high courts. He also said that he looks forward to fulfill the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Earth Sciences ministry as its minister.
Also Read: Who is Arjun Ram Meghwal? IAS-turned-three-time MP is new Law minister
Meghwal, who has been given additional charge of the Law ministry, currently serves as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Culture. A prominent Scheduled Caste face of the BJP in Rajasthan, Meghwal’s elevation is also being seen as a move by the saffron party with an eye on the upcoming polls in Rajasthan.
Of late, Rijiju has been in the headlines over his remarks critical of the collegium system of judicial appointments. It was under his tenure as Law minister that the Supreme Court, in an unprecedented move, made public the objections of the government regarding the appointment of judges to the top court.
