Rajasthan ministers allocated portfolios; Gehlot keeps 9, including home and finance
Jaipur, Dec 27 : Newly inducted Rajasthan ministers have been allocated portfolios, with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlok assigning nine departments, including the key finance and home, to himself.
According to the orders issued by the Cabinet Secretariat here, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has been given the charge of public works, rural development, panchayati raj, science and technology and statistics departments.
Apart from the chief minister and his deputy, 13 cabinet and 10 ministers of state were allocated portfolios by Governor Kalyan Singh late on Wednesday night on the advice of Gehlot.
The 23 ministers were sworn in on Monday, a week after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot took oath.
The allocation of portfolios were made after Gehlot and Pilot held meetings with Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The decision had been pending due to reported disagreement between Gehlot and Pilot over allocation of key portfolios such as home and finance.
Besides finance and home, the chief minister also kept the charge of excise, planning, personnel, general administration and information technology department, among others with himself.
B D Kalla has been given energy, public health engineering, ground water, art, culture and archeology departments, while Shanti Dhariwal was assigned urban development and housing, law and parliamentary affairs departments.
Parsadi Lal was named industry minister, and Master Bhanwar Lal Meghwal is in charge of social justice and empowerment department.
Agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries departments are with Lal Chand Kataria while medical and health, information and public relations departments are with Raghu Sharma. Pramod Bhaya is the mines minister.
Vishvendra Singh got tourism and devsthan department, Harish Chaudhary was allocated revenue, while Ramesh Chand Meena was given food and civil supply deaprtment.
Besides being made the cooperative minister, Anjana Udailal was also given the Indira Gandhi canal project department. Pratap Singh was given the charge of transport and soldier welfare departments while Shale Mohammad was made minority affairs and waqf minister.
The portfolios, which are yet to be allocated will remain with the chief minister for now.
Among the ministers of state, Govind Singh Dotasara was given education (independent charge), and was also given tourism and devsthan departments. Mamta Bhupesh was given women and child development department (independent charge) along with minority affairs and waqf.
Arjun Singh Bamnia was given tribal area development department (independent charge) as well as industry and pubic enterprises departments.
Bhanwar Singh Bhati was allocated higher education (independent charge) and revenue while Sukhram Bishnoi got forest (independent charge), environment (independent charge), food and civil supply and consumer affairs.
Youth affairs and sports (independent charge), skill development (independent charge) and transport and soldier welfare went to Ashok Chandna, while Tikaram Jully got labour (independent charge), industries and boilers inspection (independent charge), cooperatives and Indira Gandhi canal project department.
Bhajan Lal Jatav has civil defence (independent charge), agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, Rajendra Singh Yadav was allocated state motor garage (independent charge), language department, social justice and empowerment, calamity management and relief departments.
RLD's Subhash Garg was allocated technical education (independent charge), Sanskrit education (independent charge), medical and health, information and public relations departments.
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Justice must be seen to be done: Kejriwal on refusal to appear in excise case before HC judge
New Delhi (PTI): Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has written to Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, saying he will not appear in the excise case personally or through a lawyer before her, the party said on Monday.
Pointing to a "grave miscarriage of justice", Kejriwal, in a four-page letter, said he has "serious and unreconciled" concerns regarding the matter.
"I have decided that I shall not participate in the further proceedings in this matter, either in person or through counsel. I do not take this step lightly," Kejriwal added.
In his letter, Kejriwal further said that "justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done".
"The principle that justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done, is among the most sacred assurances that a court gives to a citizen in a democracy," he said.
The assurance cannot be dishonoured by asking the citizen to ignore what "anyone can plainly see" in a case like this, he added in the letter.
The letter also invoked the principles of Satyagraha and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, with Kejriwal saying that his intent is "strengthening of judiciary and prevent its weakening".
He added that he has given the authority an opportunity to consider and correct what he perceived to be a grave miscarriage of justice.
His earlier plea seeking the recusal of Justice Sharma, which was rejected on April 20, was interpreted as a personal attack, the AAP chief claimed.
"After the said judgment, I am left with the painful and inescapable impression that what I had urged as a lawful plea of apprehension was received and answered as a personal attack upon Your Ladyship and as an assault on the institution itself.
"Those are not, with respect, answers to the case I had brought. They show me that my plea of apprehension has been judicially understood as a personal and institutional affront," he said in the letter.
The letter further noted the leader's belief that it was now "impossible to receive an impartial hearing" in Justice Sharma's court.
Kejriwal also reiterated two grounds cited earlier in his recusal plea.
"First, the issue of Your Ladyship's repeated public association with the RSS's legal front, the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad (ABAP) -- an organisation belonging to the ideological ecosystem of the ruling dispensation," he wrote, further pointing out that Justice Sharma's children "are professionally engaged on multiple advocates' panels of the Union government which happens to be the opposite party in this case".
Reflecting on his personal experience during the proceedings, the former Delhi chief minister expressed concern over the broader implications of his case on public trust in the judiciary, while he said he maintains respect for the institution.
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"When I appeared before Your Ladyship to argue my case, the question in my heart was simple: Will I get justice? Today, with the deepest respect, I must say that the same question has become graver and deeper in my conscience," he said.
This case has now become a matter of widespread public discussion. It is being discussed not merely in legal and political circles, but in homes across the country, the letter read.
Addressing potential criticism, Kejriwal clarified that his remarks should not be interpreted as opposition to the judiciary.
"As I write this, I am also cognisant of the fact that some might portray me as someone 'against' the judiciary. But how can that ever be the case when I have personally received relief from the judiciary, including orders of bail and the present discharge?
"Today, I walk free because of the judiciary. Let there exist no figment of imagination that my present stand is against the institution," he asserted.
Kejriwal further said his respect for the judiciary "remains intact" and he has "unwavering faith" in the Constitution of India.
"My objection is not to the institution of the High Court or the larger judicial system, but only to the continuance of this matter before Your Ladyship (Sharma) under a cloud of grave and unresolved questions and circumstances that have generated grave public doubt in your ability to dispense impartial justice," Kejriwal further wrote in the letter.
He also clarified that his "personal inability" is confined to just this matter.
"I shall continue to appear in matters where these serious and unreconciled concerns do not arise, including matters in which the solicitor general does not appear and matters unconnected with the Union government, the BJP or the RSS," the letter added.
He further said he has made the decision by listening to the voice of his conscience and that he is prepared to bear the consequences.
"I may prejudice my own legal interests. I understand that I may lose the opportunity to advance submissions before this Hon'ble Court and that adverse consequences in law may follow. I am prepared to bear those consequences," the AAP chief said.
He added that he will reserve the right to approach the Supreme Court to appeal against Justice Sharma's decision.
