Agri portfolio may see a change
Farm minister Radha told not to travel abroad for now
Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh’s last moment postponement of his visit to China where he was supposed to attend the threeday Brics forum starting June 15, happened after the Prime Minister Office (PMO) is learnt to have asked him to stay back in the wake of the ongoing farmers agitation threat- ening to spread to other parts of the country.
Highly placed sources said that the PMO is reported to have taken a serious view of the ongoing farmers agitation, and moreover with Mr Singh getting trolled in social media after his photographs appeared all over practising yoga with Yoga guru Ramdev at a camp during the farmers agitation getting out of control in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur, has also not gone down well with South Block mandarins.
In fact, speculations are rife that the agriculture portfolio may see a change in face during the cabinet reshuffle which is likely to take place after the presidential polls.
Amid such a scenario, the agriculture minister was ‘advised’ to not attend the Brics forum in China and remain present in the country, which will send a positive message all over, sources said. In fact sources informed that the agriculture minister is said to have received a call from the PMO on June 14, just hours before he was to leave for China, asking him to stay back.
Sources said none of the three ministers of state in the agriculture ministry were considered for representing the country in the significant event.
The agriculture secretary had to literally air dash to China to attend the Brics forum, sources informed.