Cabinet reshuffle: Arjun Ram Meghwal replaces Kiren Rijiju as law minister

New Delhi: In a major Cabinet reshuffle, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday replaced Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who has been moved to the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Rijiju, who had frequent run-ins with the Supreme Court over judicial appointments, was named as law minister on July 7, 2021.

The Sports Minister and the Minister of State for Minority Affairs at that time, Rijiju got the coveted portfolio following the resignation of senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

“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, the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Kiren Rijiju and 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,” the communique added.

Rijiju took over as the Law and Justice Minister on July 8, 2021. He had served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021.