Nirmala to take charge after Jaitley’s Japan visit
NEW DELHI: New Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to take charge of her ministry after a couple of days, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was holding additional charge of Defence, will be travelling to Japan on Sunday for a bilateral dialogue.
Jaitley, who took additional charge of defence after Manohar Parrikar returned to Goa to take over as the Chief Minister, is leaving on Sunday night for Japan, where he will hold a bilateral dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, ahead of a visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India later this month.
“I leave tonight for Japan, and normally the new Defence Minister should have been going. But logistically that doesn’t seem possible today being a Sunday,” Jaitley told reporters.
“It is a very important security dialogue between the two countries ahead of the Japanese Prime Minister’s visit and therefore changes are not advisable. I will continue for next two days to complete the dialogue, and Nirmala Sitharaman will take the charge as soon as the dialogue ends,” he said.
Reacting to her appointment, Sithraman said she felt very humbled and she cannot describe her recognition in words.
“The party and the Prime Minister have been very supportive.
As an ordinary worker from the south (India), it’s a recogni- tion by the party which overwhelms me,” she said.
In the third reshuffle of the ministry in three years, Nitin Gadkari, who held Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, also got the Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry that was taken away from Uma Bharti, who moved to Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all those who took oath on Sunday as Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State and said their wisdom “will add immense value” to his government.
“I congratulate all those who have taken oath today. Their experience and wisdom will add immense value to the council of ministers,” Modi tweeted.