Rijiju removed as Union law minister; replaced by Arjun Ram Meghwal

ANI, New Delhi, May 18, 2023: In a major Cabinet reshuffle, Arjun Ram Meghwal has replaced Kiren Rijiju as the Union and Justice Minister, a communique from President’s Secretariat said on Thursday.

Meghwal will also get existing portfolios of Rijiju apart from the Law and Justice Ministry as a part of this reshuffle.

Kiren Rijijiu has meanwhile been assigned to the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

“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, the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State be 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,” the communique added.

Rijiju took over as the Law and Justice Minister on July 8, 2021. He had served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021. 

Agencies: In the latest reshuffle to the union cabinet, on Thursday (May 18), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arjun Ram Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju as the Union Law and Justice Minister.

Meghwal will also be taking over the existing portfolios of Rijiju apart from the Law Ministry as a part of his rejig. Meghwal has been assigned an independent charge of the minister in addition to his existing portfolios.

A press release from the Rashtrapati Bhawan said, "Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State be 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." 

Currently, Meghwal is the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Minister of State for Culture.

The statement added that the portfolio of (the) Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Rijiju. Earlier, Union Minister Jitendra Singh was holding charge of the ministry. 

"Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State be 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," stated the press release.

The statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that the reallocation of portfolios among ministers was done by President Droupadi Murmu as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rijiju took over as the Union Law and Justice Minister on July 8, 2021. Prior to this, he served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021. He will now be handling the Ministry of Earth Sciences. 

Who is Arjun Ram Meghawal?

Arjun Ram Meghwal was born on December 20, 1953. He was an IAS Officer in the Rajasthan Cadre and was regarded as the face of the Schedule Caste in the state. 

His political career began in 2009 when he got elected as the Member of Parliament representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Bikaner Constituency and took oath as the Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. 

During the general election in 2014, he got re-elected from the Bikaner Constituency. During his second term in the constituency, he was also the Chief Whip of the BJP in Lok Sabha. 

In 2013, Meghwal also served as the minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and was even awarded with the Best Parliamentarian award. 

(With inputs from agencies)