'Privilege, Honour To Serve As Law Minister': Kiren Rijiju After Cabinet Reshuffle

New Delhi: Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said it was a 'privilege' to serve as Union Minister of Law and Justice and thanked the entire judiciary, including Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, for their 'huge support'. Taking to his official Twitter, hours after he was divested of the Law and Justice portfolio and made the Minister for Earth Sciences, Rijiju said he is now looking forward to fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision in the Earth Sciences Ministry.

"It has been a privilege and an honour to serve as Union Minister of Law and Justice under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," Kiren Rijiju said.

He thanked CJI Chandrachud, all judges of the Supreme Court, Chief Justices and judges of high courts, lower judiciary and law officers for the 'huge support' in ensuring delivering ease of justice and providing legal services for citizens.

"I look forward to fulfilling the vision of PM Narendra Modi ji in the Earth Sciences Ministry with the same zeal and vigour I have imbibed as a humble 'karyakarta' of (the) BJP," he added.

It has been been a privelege and an honour to serve as Union Minister of Law & Justice under the guidance of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji. I thank honble Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, all Judges of Supreme Court, Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts, Lower… pic.twitter.com/CSCT8Pzn1q

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 18, 2023

In a sudden development, Rijiju, who was named as law minister in July 2021, was moved out of the ministry and replaced by Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday. He was the Sports Minister and the Minister of State for Minority Affairs before taking over as the Law Minister and got the coveted portfolio following the resignation of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

A brief communique of Rashtrapati Bhavan said President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reallocated portfolios among ministers in the Union Council of Ministers.

Meghwal is currently the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Minister of State for Culture. He has been assigned independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios, according to the communique.

Rijiju will take over from Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who was holding charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Kiren Rijiju was critical of collegium system of appointing SC, HC judges 

As law minister, Kiren Rijiju, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh, had been the most vocal in the government in criticising the collegium system of appointing Supreme Court and high court judges and described it as being 'alien' to the Constitution. 

His recent remarks on some retired judges being part of an anti-India gang had evoked strong reactions.

He had claimed that a few retired judges and some activists who are part of the 'anti-India gang' were trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the opposition party.