Smriti Irani, Women and Child Development Minister, has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs while Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of Steel.
The notification came after President Ram Nath Kovind officially accepted the resignation of Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Steel Minister RCP Singh from the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
“The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignations of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution,” read the notification of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in addition to her existing portfolio,” said the notification.
“Furthermore, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Steel, in addition to his existing portfolio,” it added.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and RCP Singh, two cabinet ministers in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, resigned from the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. They will no longer be Rajya Sabha members.
On Thursday, Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of Steel RCP Singh’s tenure in the Rajya Sabha come to an end.
According to the sources, this is the first time that a sitting minister has been out of both Houses of Parliament.
Recently, several BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan secured seats in the Rajya Sabha. Naqvi was not, however, given a Rajya Sabha ticket by the party.