Bureaucrat-turned-politician Arjun Ram Meghwal 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. He further made it clear that there was no confrontation with the judiciary and the massive backlog of cases at all levels of India's judiciary is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Soon after assuming office, Meghwal declared that there was no confrontation with the judiciary and that his priority would be to ensure speedy justice for all. "The executive and the judiciary have a cordial relationship, and it will stay cordial and constitutional. The boundaries are already there," he told reporters.
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The appointment of Meghwal, who is also the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, comes ahead of the Rajasthan assembly election slated for later this year. "My topmost priority will be to ensure speedy justice to all," said Meghwal, a law graduate. Rijiju met Meghwal and extended best wishes on the new responsibility.
In a surprise move on Thursday, Rijiju was divested of the Law and Justice portfolio, which was handed over to Meghwal. Rijiju was given the earth sciences ministry, which was earlier held by Jitendra Singh. A three-term Lok Sabha member from Bikaner, Meghwal is only the third person to hold the Law and Justice portfolio as a Minister of State with Independent Charge.
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In 1996, Ramakant Khalap, a Lok Sabha member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, helmed the Law Ministry in the rank of Minister of State (independent charge) under Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral.
Later, Arun Jaitley held the portfolio in the same rank for nearly two years from 2000-02 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He had a brief stint in the BJP as general secretary and national spokesman, before rejoining the government in the Cabinet rank in January 2003.
(With inputs from PTI)
