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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Sep 03, 2017, 05:24 PM IST
Nirmala Sitharaman emerged as the biggest gainer of the cabinet reshuffle on Sunday as Prime Minister Modi gave her the heavyweight Defence portfolio, while Piyush Goyal replaced Suresh Prabhu in the Railway Ministry in a major rejig, which saw nine new faces being inducted.
Sitharaman became the first woman Defence Minister of the country since Indira Gandhi held the charge.
Sitharaman, who was holding the Commerce portfolio as a Minister of State, was elevated along with Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to the cabinet rank.
Prabhu was shifted to the commerce and industry ministry, while Pradhan and Naqvi retained their portfolios of Oil and Gas and Minority Affairs respectively. Goyal will continue to head the Coal Ministry along with Railways.
President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
PM Modi has made a significant change to his Council of Ministers with the power of 4P for Progress. 4Ps are: passion + proficiency + professional and political acumen.
"Nervous to replace Arun Jaitley," says new Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Updates on Portfolios:
► Nirmala Sitharaman has been given the Defence portfolio.
► Suresh Prabhu is the new commerce and industry minister.
► Piyush Goyal becomes the new Railway Minister, will also head the Coal portfolio.
► Nitin Gadkari gets additional charge of water resources, river development, and Ganga rejuvenation
► Uma Bharti shifted to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation from Water Resources.
► Dharmendra Pradhan retains Petroleum Ministry, gets additional charge of Skill Development Ministry.
► Hardeep Puri and Alphons Kannanthanam made MoS (Independent charge) of Housing and Urban Development & Tourism respectively.
► RK Singh and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore are MoS (Independent) in Power and Sports ministries respectively.
Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Nirmala Sitharaman
A very significant landmark in this reshuffle is that we now have Nirmala Sitharaman as the new Defence Minister. It is a case where a minister performs well and earns a higher responsibility for herself (Nirmala Sitharaman). I am sure, now that I have an extremely competent successor in Nirmala Sitharaman, she will carry the road forward.
Nirmala Sitharaman thanks 'cosmic grace' for her elevation
"Somebody who has come from a small town, grown into the party with all the support of the leadership, and if given such responsibility, it just makes you feel sometimes that cosmic grace is there. Otherwise it is impossible," she told reporters here after taking oath.
To a query over the opposition's criticism of her working as commerce minister, the BJP leader said she was neither averse nor frightened by criticism.
"Every criticism is a message and we have to learn from it. I am not averse to criticism and also not frightened of it (criticism), but certainly, take messages from them.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh congratulated the newly appointed ministers.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan offered prayers at Jagannath Temple
Nirmala Sitharaman, the only woman minister in the Sunday's cabinet reshuffle, has been appointed as Defence Minister: Reports
Congrats to all newly sworn-in ministers. I am sure they will leave no stone unturned in realising PM @narendramodi's dream of a #NewIndia.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 3, 2017
Cabinet Resuffle is an expansion of BJP and not NDA. Shiv Sena did not demand anything, Shiv Sena has never demanded anything: Sanya Raut
Our duty is to match up to expectations of PM Modi. We pledge to carry our duties honestly: MA Naqvi after being promoted to cabinet rank
Thanks to all 13 Lacs+ rail family for their support,love,goodwill.I will always cherish these memories with me.Wishing u all a great life
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) September 3, 2017
I congratulate my colleagues @dpradhanbjp, @PiyushGoyal, @nsitharaman and @naqvimukhtar on joining the Union Cabinet.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 3, 2017
I congratulate all those who have taken oath today. Their experience & wisdom will add immense value to the Council of Ministers.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 3, 2017
#cabinetreshuffle Virendra Kumar, Ananth Kumar Hegde, Styapal Singh sworn-in https://t.co/E5V7geq9Ux pic.twitter.com/PZ2bT4SYmy
— DNA (@dna) September 3, 2017
BJP MPs Shiv Pratap Shukla, Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Virendra Kumar take oath as Minister of States
Live | #cabinetreshuffle: Ashwini Kumar Choubey takes oath as minister https://t.co/E5V7geq9Ux pic.twitter.com/X9IqypkEM4
— DNA (@dna) September 3, 2017
Nirmala Sitharaman, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan were sworn in by President.
PM Modi arrives for oath taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Union Minister Uma Bharti not present at the oath taking ceremony. She is at an event in Varanasi.
Alphons Kannanthanam, Hardeep Singh Puri, RK Singh thank PM ahead of swearing-in-ceremony
WATCH: Oath taking ceremony from President House #cabinetreshuffle https://t.co/ebUSay9IGC
— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2017
'Unhappy' Shiv Sena will not attend today's oath ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan
Amid speculations, media reports say Piyush Goyal could become Railway Minister
I am grateful to the PM for making me a part of his team, says Hardeep Singh Puri
Our National President had already made it clear, so no question of me or anyone from JDU joining cabinet: VN Singh
PM Modi to meet new ministers over breakfast ahead of swearing in.
Nirmala Sitharaman, MA Naqvi, Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan are likely to be promoted to cabinet.
I thank the PM Modi for expressing confidence in my ability. Portfolio has not been decided yet: RK Singh
The Congress has raised questions on whether the ministers who may be removed or have resigned have any link to corruption cases that are being probed.
The grand old party has also accused the Centre of being 'selective' and 'opportunistic' in dealing with opposition leaders under investigation in cases of corruption.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari parries questions on Cabinet reshuffle
"It is the prime minister's prerogative to allocate portfolios. New ministers would be inducted and he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) would take a decision on this," said Gadkari to a question by media persons.
Asked if he would get the railway portfolio in addition to his current responsibility of Road Transport and Highways, and Shipping ministries, Gadkari said, "It is a discussion in the media."
Nine new faces in Team Modi
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seen as one of the more capable ministers, could be given more responsibility, possibly Railways.
BJP allies received no communication over the inclusion
The Shiv Sena, another BJP ally, also said that it had not received any communication from the BJP over the inclusion of any of its MP in the Council of Ministers.
"I have got news about the Cabinet expansion only from media. I have not enquired about it. I have neither received any communication from anybody nor are we hungry for power," Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray told reporters on Saturday.
The AIADMK, which rules Tamil Nadu, and has come closer to the BJP in the last few weeks, is also not joining the Modi government.
