In a major union cabinet reshuffle, Arjun Ram Meghwal is appointed as the new Law Minister of India. Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju, who assumed the charge of law ministry on July 8, 2021.
Rijiju has been assigned the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The official communique from President's Secretariat on Thursday stated that "The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has been pleased to direct the following reallocation of portfolios among Ministers in the Union Council of Ministers."
"Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State was assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios, in place of Shri Kiren Rijiju,” it added.
Rijiju extended his best wishes to Meghwal, who took charge as the new law minister.
Who is Meghwal
Meghwal, 70, a retired IAS officer, was the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture in the Modi-led government.
In 2009, Meghwal was elected as the Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha from Bikaner and was re-elected in the 2014 general election for the 16th Lok Sabha. He was also appointed as the Chief Whip of the BJP. He was also nominated as the Chairman of House Committee in the lower house.
Earlier, before becoming the Law Minister, Rijiju served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021.
Rijiju had earlier sparked a row by criticising the collegium system of appointing judges. He had said that the system was "opaque and not transparent".
It has been been a privelege and an honour to serve as Union Minister of Law & Justice under the guidance of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji. I thank honble Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, all Judges of Supreme Court, Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts, Lower… pic.twitter.com/CSCT8Pzn1q
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 18, 2023
"Failed law minister"
Congress took a swipe at the Rijiju calling him a "failed law minister".
"The failed law minister moves In Earth Science what he can do? Hope Arjun Ram Meghwal acts in a dignified manner as law minister," Congress MP Manickam Tagore tweeted.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also taunted Rijiju saying that it was not easy to understand the science behind the laws. "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!" Sibal tweeted.
