Rijiju addressed the media at the Prithvi Bhavan on Lodhi Road in the capital on Friday at 11 am, shortly after taking charge as the Minister of Earth Sciences.
Digital Desk: Kiren Rijiju on Friday referred to the process as a "routine process" after being removed from his role as Union Law Minister during the cabinet reshuffle yesterday. He also emphasised that it is not a punishment for him, but rather a part of the prime minister's programme.
"This technique of shifting is a routine process. It is the vision of the prime minister. There must be a responsible party. No mistakes have been made. It is the opposition's responsibility to speak against me; let them speak. This is not a day to speak politics," Rijiju stated.
Rijiju addressed the media at the Prithvi Bhavan on Lodhi Road in the capital on Friday at 11 a.m., shortly after taking charge as the Minister of Earth Sciences.
Kiren Rijiju was abruptly replaced as Union Law Minister by Arjun Ram Meghwal in the cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, less than a year before Lok Sabha elections.
The minister was one of the most prominent members of the administration when he was appointed to the cabinet-level position of law ministry last year.
Rijiju was moved to the comparatively low-key Ministry of Earth Sciences in this year's cabinet shuffle despite being seen as a loyal lieutenant of the BJP, which controls the government at the centre.
As the Minister of Law, Rijiju frequently expressed criticism of the judiciary and the collegium system of appointment. His comments had regularly sparked a dispute over judicial appointments between the government branch and the judiciary.
Despite his clarification that there is no conflict between the judiciary and the government in the nation, his words have seemed to suggest otherwise.
The Centre cannot accept the recommendations provided by the Supreme Court collegium for appointments to the higher judiciary, Kiren Rijiju stated in 2021 while speaking to the Lok Sabha. He discussed the need to reconsider the collegium structure during an event in September of last year.
He again referred to the collegium system as opaque later in October. He said that because judges are frequently obsessed with choosing the next judge, their primary duty of dispensing justice is compromised.
"I am aware that the collegium system for appointing judges is unpopular with the nation's citizens. The government must choose judges if we are to uphold the spirit of the Constitution," the law minister stated.
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