New inductees in J&K cabinet kick up storm
PDP, BJP described rejig as a ‘midterm course correction’ as eight ministers take oath of office; Nirmal Singh is the new speaker of state assembly
JAMMU: The much-awaited cabinet reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir took place on Monday with speaker Kavinder Gupta taking over as the new deputy chief minister of the PDP-BJP combine.
The shake-up of the council of ministers , with the induction of six new ministers from the BJP and two from the PDP, comes after BJP ministers Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga resigned from the cabinet earlier this month after they were criticised for taking part in a rally in support of those accused of the rape and murder of an eight-yearold girl in Kathua.
Both parties sought to downplay the link between the reshuffle and Kathua, although the appointment of Kathua MLA Rajiv Jasrotia, who was part of the rally for which Singh and Ganga had to resign, as cabinet minister came in for criticism.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was quick off the mark on Twitter. “2 BJP ministers removed in J&K for attending a pro-rapist rally & an MLA who is reported to have attended the same rally is promoted as a minister. Why are the BJP/ @MehboobaMufti confused about where they stand on the #Kathua rape?” he tweeted.
Governor NN Vohra administered the oath of office to the eight ministers in the presence of CM Mehbooba Mufti, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, BJP J&K in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna and outgoing deputy CM Nirmal Singh, who is the new speaker. Gupta was the first to take oath followed by PDP’s Mohammed Khalil Bandh, BJP state president Sat Sharma, PDP’s Mohammed Ashraf Mir, and the BJP’s MoS Sunil Kumar Sharma, Jasrotia, Devinder Kumar Manyal and Shakti Raj.
Both the PDP and BJP described the reshuffle as a midterm course correction. The coalition completed three years in office in March. The J&K assembly has a term of six years.
Hours after the ceremony, Gupta kicked up a storm by terming the Kathua rape and murder a “minor incident”. “It is a small incident but we have to ensure that it does not happen again. We want that justice for the child but the incident shouldn’t be raked up again and again. The state has many such challenges,” he added.
It is a small incident but we have to ensure that such incident does not happen again... shouldn’t be raked up again & again KAVINDER GUPTA , new J&K dy CM, on the Kathua gangrape and murder
Kavinder Gupta, an old BJP guard and an RSS loyalist, has been chosen in place of Dr Nirmal Singh with an aim to match People’s Democratic Party (PDP) shoulder to shoulder.
Elected from Gandhi Nagar assembly constituency in 2014, in his first plunge at the hustings, Gupta had defeated Congress heavyweight Raman Bhalla.
Kavinder was appointed as Speaker of the J&K Legislative Assembly on March 18, 2015.
Before becoming an MLA from Gandhi Nagar, Gupta also remained Mayor of the cashstrapped Jammu Municipal Corporation for three terms.
He was the first Mayor of the corporation.
Born on December 2, 1959, the political career of the 59-year-old leader began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
A thoroughly dedicated RSS man, he also worked at key posts in Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha before being inducted into state unit of the BJP.
He is also considered close to RSS veteran Ram Lal.
During the period of Emergency, he had to spend 13 months in prison in Gurdaspur area of Punjab.
Gupta had joined RSS Shaka when he was just 13 years of age. A graduate, he has two daughters and a son.
An honest and upright man, he has been working for the poor and downtrodden.
After the oath ceremony, Gupta said since the party high command has reposed faith in him, he will work to ensure equitable development of all the three regions of the state.