20 July 2018 will be remembered as a historic day for many reasons. One reason that we’d like to highlight is that on this day the man who commanded the highest TRPs was neither Kohli nor Kapil.
It was this gentleman. Arjun Ram Meghwal.
By the virtue of being seated right behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Meghwal enjoyed twelve hours of solid screen time. Every time the camera cut to the prime minister, seated behind him was the smiling MP in the colourful safa.
He seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the day’s proceedings.
So, who is Arjun Ram Meghwal? Here are a few facts about the man, who, by the way, courted controversy earlier in the day by saying as Modi’s popularity grows, so will the incidents of mob lynching in the country.
Claimed Garam Dharam’s Parliamentary Seat
Member of Parliament from Bikaner, Rajasthan, Meghwal is into his second term, having been elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2014. Fun fact about the Bikaner constituency: Before Meghwal got elected in 2009, the constituency was ruled by Bollywood star and water-tank aficionado Dharmendra.
Modi’s Confidence in Him During the No-Confidence Motion Debate
Meghwal had a vital role to play for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Friday’s no-confidence motion debate. As the minister of state for parliamentary affairs, he was tasked with conducting proceedings efficiently on behalf of the government in Parliament. After winning the trust vote, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Anant Kumar said, “It is not one man’s work. It is the work of my two colleagues, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Vijay Goel sahab.”
Junior Finance Minister During Demonetisation
Not just the no-confidence motion, Meghwal has a penchant for being part of big national stories. When Modi dropped the demonetisation bomb on 8 November 2016, Meghwal was the minister of state for finance.
Professional details aside, Meghwal has been the opposite of boring. He has presented Indian politics with many hatke moments in the last few years.
Biopic Worthy Life
Born into a Dalit weaver family in Bikaner, Meghwal got married when he was only 13. He made his way into the IAS, serving as District Collector of Churu before taking the plunge into politics. In 2016, he became a Union minister.
The Cycling Neta
Meghwal does not seem to believe in sarkari transport and is known for cycling to Parliament. He said he wants to reduce carbon emissions. In 2016, he pedalled up Raisina Hill to Rashtrapati Bhavan for his swearing-in ceremony as the Union minister of state.
The Ladder Minister
The MP lost phone signal during a visit to a village in his constituency in June, 2017. What do you think he did? Why, scale a ladder, of course. The 62-year-old climbed up the rungs and managed to get his call through.
Musical Mantri
Apart from pulling administrative chords in Parliament, Meghwal ji also likes to exercise his vocal chords. In November, 2016, he took to the stage and performed a Kabir bhajan at a folk music festival in Rajasthan.
RaGa-Modi Hug
While most BJP lawmakers found Rahul Gandhi’s hug in poor taste and described him as a bachha and a Bollywood actor, Meghwal seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed it and had a good laugh.
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