With their Rajya Sabha terms ending on 7 July, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister for Steel R C P Singh today resigned from the Union Cabinet.
Naqvi, who was the Muslim face of the Modi government, did not get renominated by the BJP TO the Upper House, making it necessary for him to resign from the government as per the Constitutional requirement.
Singh, a leader of the ruling NDA’s ally, Janata Dal (United), was denied a ticket to the Rajya Sabha for another term by his party and will cease to be a parliamentarian from Friday.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said the President has accepted the resignations of the two ministers. As advised by the Prime Minister, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has been given the charge of the Minority Affairs Ministry in addition to her portfolio. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been given the additional charge of the Steel Ministry.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi had lauded both Naqvi and Singh at a Cabinet meeting for their contribution to the country during their tenure, in an apparent suggestion of it being their final cabinet meeting, sources said.