Wings chopped, Kiren Rijiju back to earth

His stand-off with judiciary ends with dismissal from Law Ministry; MoS culture becomes new law minister, as Rijiju gets Earth Sciences

Wings chopped, Kiren Rijiju back to earth

Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal, on Thursday. Pic/PTI

Arjun Ram Meghwal, the bureaucrat-turned-politician, on Thursday, assumed charge as the minister of Law and Justice after Kiren Rijiju was removed from the high-profile ministry in a surprise development. Rijiju has been given the earth sciences ministry.

A brief communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reallocated portfolios among ministers in the Union Council of Ministers.

“The executive and the judiciary have a cordial relationship, and it will stay cordial and constitutional. The boundaries are already there. My topmost priority will be to ensure speedy justice to all,” said Meghwal, who is also the minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, after taking charge.

Rijiju’s exit from the coveted Law Ministry came in the midst of his frequent criticism of the judiciary, particularly on the system of appointment of judges to high courts and the Supreme Court. The 51-year-old Lok Sabha member has slammed the collegium system of appointments to the higher judiciary as “alien” to the Constitution and even accused a few retired judges of being part of the “anti-India gang”, remarks that evoked strong reactions.

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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the Centre has taken note of the judiciary’s “resentment” to Rijiju and hence he has been moved out of the law ministry. This is a victory of the judicial system, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Tweet talk

Manickam Tagore, Congress MP@manickamtagore
The failed law minister moves... In Earth Science, what can he do? Hope Arjun Ram Meghwal acts in a dignified manner as law minister

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP@priyankac19
Is it [Rijiju’s ouster from Law Ministry] because of the Maharashtra judgment embarrassment? Or the Modani-SEBI investigation?

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