Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 18: With the elections to the Rajasthan Assembly about six months away, the prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made a surprise move taking away the law ministry from Kiren Rijiju and handed over the portfolio to the union minister of state for Parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, who hails from Rajasthan.
Rijiju whose brief tenure as the union law minister was controversial because of frequent run-ins between the government and the judiciary, and his open criticism of the Supreme Court over the collegium system of judges appointing judges, has been moved to the relatively low-key Ministry of Earth Sciences, less than a year after he was promoted to the Law Ministry with cabinet status.
Rijiju, known to be one of the government’s most high-profile ministers and a trouble-shooter, posted a note for his former ministry, thanking Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, and all judges. “It has been a privilege 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,” he said. ,
Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, will now also have Independent Charge of the Law Ministry. This is the first time in recent history that the Law Minister is not of cabinet rank.
India has a new Law Minister at a critical time when the government and the Supreme Court have often not been on the same page on judges’ appointments. In February, a Supreme Court two-judge bench had expressed displeasure over the delay in clearing judges appointments and transfers, calling it a very serious issue and warning of “administrative and judicial actions which might not be palatable.”
Rijiju had brushed off the warning, saying the country would be governed according to the Constitution and the wishes of the people. “Sometimes discussions are held in the country on some matters and in a democracy everyone has the right to express their opinion. But people sitting in responsible positions have to think before saying anything, whether it will benefit the country or not,” he had said at an event, stressing that “nobody can give a warning to anyone.”
The government vs judiciary confrontation escalated when Rijiju said last year that the collegium system is “alien” to the Constitution and had no public support. “Anything which is alien to the Constitution merely because of the decision taken by the courts or some judges, how do you expect that the decision will be backed by the country,” he had said.
He had also referred to the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act passed by parliament in 2014, which gave a greater role to the government in judicial appointments, which was scrapped by the Supreme Court.
A short statement from the President’s House announced Mr Rijiju’s transfer this morning, citing the Prime Minister’s advice. Mr Rijiju changed his Twitter bio shortly after.
Arjun Meghwal, the BJP MP from Bikaner, has created a defining image of simplicity and humbleness and his appointment in the law ministry could help assuage the growing friction between the government and the judiciary. But more importantly, being considered as the BJP’s scheduled caste face in Rajasthan, the move could also be an attempt to consolidate the party’s support base within the community. The appointment of Meghwal has also triggered speculation if he has joined the long list of CM chair aspirants within the Rajasthan BJP.
The 69-year-old is currently serving his third term as MP. He had cleared the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) examinations in 1982 and served within various ranks in the state service, before being promoted as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Meghwal, who has MA (Pol Science), LLB and MBA degrees, took voluntary retirement to contest from the Bikaner parliamentary constituency on a BJP ticket.
By 2010, Meghwal made it to the BJP’s National Executive and also became the vice president of the party’s Rajasthan unit. He was given the Best Parliamentarian award in 2013 under the UPA government. The same year, he also raised an anti-homosexuality bill in the Lok Sabha.
In 2016, Meghwal was inducted into Modi’s Council of Ministers. His appointment was seen as an attempt on the BJP’s part to balance the caste equations in Rajasthan after the party dropped Ganganagar MP and MoS in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Nihal Chand Meghwal, also from the SC community, who was facing probe relating to a 2011 rape case. Meghwal ended up becoming the Union Minister of State for Finance as well as Corporate Affairs.
Meghwal has stirred controversy in the past over his remarks on Pakistan. After the 2019 Pulwama attack, Meghwal said that India will stop the water of three eastern rivers flowing into Pakistan, saying the water would be used by either Punjab or Rajasthan for drinking or irrigation purposes.
Just last month, while addressing an investors’ meet in Jammu and Kashmir, he said: “That is why you see such a situation in Pakistan…Separatism and terrorism are not in the hearts of those living in India but come from outside.”
Beyond his political career, Meghwal is known for singing spiritual bhajans. Most recently, he sang on the 100th episode of Modi’s Mann ki Baat.