Giving a clear message that controversy is no substitute for good work, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday removed his one-time handpicked high-profile minister Smriti Irani from the crucial Human Resource Development Ministry and gave her the responsibility of the low-profile Textiles Ministry.
This is being viewed as a snub as Irani, a Rajya Sabha member, was personally chosen by Modi to run the HRD ministry in 2014 despite the move getting red flagged by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
However, Irani’s stint has been marred by major controversies over protests in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in Delhi and also the students’ protest over the death of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad.
Angry protests and campus violence have been reported from various other universities too.
The role of the RSS in getting the former TV actor-turned-politician divested of one of the sought after portfolios has not been ruled out, as the Prime Minister carried out the exercise after repeated consultations with BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, among others.
Shah reportedly reached out to RSS leaders and took their inputs.
Seeking to give a message that he is sensitive to popular will and also to the wishes of RSS leadership, Modi brought in Javadekar, originally a Pune-based politician, for the crucial responsibility of handling the HRD ministry.
Javadekar seems to have left a positive impact on the PM and the Sangh Parivar leadership in his earlier capacity as Environment Minister, with his industry-friendly moves, carrying out Swachh Bharat campaign in mission mode, and also pursuing environment diplomacy at the international level on climate change and related matters.
Javadekar is also credited with bringing the National and state Compensatory Afforestation Fund, paving the way for the unlocking of nearly Rs.41,000 crore earmarked for forest land, which had lain unspent.
In fact, after the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha on 3 May with support from major opposition parties, even Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had appreciated that the draft legislation was passed unanimously with members from different parties making their positive contribution by way of suggestions to improve the system.
In contrast to Javadekar, Smriti Irani has spent her tenure in HRD embroiled in controversies, either clashing with Congress, Trinamool Congress and Left leaders, or engaging in occasional skirmishes with the Sangh Parivar elements.
According to sources, RSS leaders and a few members from Sangh-affiliated educational bodies reportedly called Irani difficult to deal with.
(With inputs from IANS)
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