Cabinet Reshuffle: Kiren Rijiju Removed as Law Minister, Assigned to Ministry of Earth Sciences

NEW DELHI: Centre on Thursday issued a statement that Kiren Rijiju has been removed as the law minister and has been replaced by Arjun Ram Meghwal. Kiren Rijiju now has been assigned to charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

According to an official press release, it is said 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 :-

(i) The portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Shri Kiren Rijiju.

(ii) 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.”

Arjun Ram Meghwal who received the Best Parliamentarian Award in 2013, is a 3-time MP from Bikaner. Mr Meghwal beats Congress’ Madan Gopal Meghwal in Lok Sabha Election and also had been the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Culture in the Modi-led government.

Rijiju has recently been outspoken about his views on the dispute between the executive and the judiciary regarding the selection process for judges. On numerous occasions, he has questioned the collegiums system for choosing judges.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi takes a dig at Rijiju’s removal as law minister and said, “Is it because of the Maharashtra judgement embarrassment? Or the Modani- SEBI investigation?”

In January 2023, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that most people had "sane views," which were similar to those of a retired High Court judge who claimed that the Supreme Court had "hijacked" the Constitution by choosing to appoint judges on its own, in a sign of rising tensions between the Executive and the Judiciary.

Mr. Rijiju posted a video interview with Justice R.S. Sodhi (retd), a former judge of the Delhi High Court with a caption, “Voice of a Judge... Real beauty of Indian Democracy is- it's success. People rule themselves through their representatives. Elected representatives represent the interests of the People & make laws. Our Judiciary is independent and our Constitution is Supreme.”

He further wrote,” Actually majority of the people have similar sane views. It's only those people who disregard the provisions of the Constitution and mandate of the people think that they are above the Constitution of India.”

While Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned the Supreme Court for overturning the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act (NJAC) and a related constitution amendment, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju referred to the collegiums system for appointing judges as "alien" to the Indian Constitution.

On the other hand, the development occurs as the Centre and the judiciary is at odds over the nation's judicial nominations.

Under the collegium system, the chief justice and the five senior-most Supreme Court judges vote on the promotions and removals of judges to the highest court and the High Courts.

The National Judicial Appointments Commission Act of 2014 proposed making judicial appointments through a body composed of the chief justice, two senior Supreme Court judges, the law minister, and two other eminent persons nominated by the chief justice, the prime minister, and the leader of the Opposition.

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