Published On : Sun, Nov 9th, 2014

Hansraj Ahir inducted as MoS in Modi’s Ministry amid boycott by Shiv Sena

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Nagpur Today on Saturday itself has flashed a report that said the Shiv Sena will be boycotting the Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony over the issue of power sharing in Maharashtra.

hansraj-ahirNagpur: Hansraj Ahir, an MP from Chandrapur in Vidarbha and the whistleblower of coal blocks allocation scam, has on Sunday found place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi Council of Ministers along with 20 other new faces. Hansraj Ahir and other newly inducted Ministers were sworn in at a ceremony held at Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan and were administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Pranab Mukherjee. Ahir will have the rank of Minister of State.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and all the Cabinet ministers.

Ahir is the second minister from Vidarbha in the Modi Ministry the first being Nitin Gadkari who is holding Surface Transport portfolio.

However, the high-profile swearing-in ceremony was marred by the boycott by Shiv Sena as the party’s leader Anil Desai was not sworn in as minister. Sena was unwilling to accept the Minister of State rank for Desai. The BJP was willing to give Anil Desai MoS rank, but this was rejected by Sena. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray called Desai and asked him to return to Mumbai.

It is significant to mention that Nagpur Today had flashed a report, as a first, that Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the swearing in ceremony of ministers to be inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet on Saturday itself. The Nagpur Today report with headline “Shiv Sena to boycott swearing-in ceremony of ministers over issue of power sharing in State” had stated that in a development that has put question mark over Shiv Sena joining BJP Government in Maharashtra, the party has decided to boycott Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony of ministers to be inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. Shiv Sena has demanded that the issue of power sharing in Maharashtra be resolved first before the vote of trust. If the BJP fails to communicate over the Sena demand positively, then the party is certain to boycott the swearing in ceremony. While conveying its decision in this regard, Shiv Sena has said that it will vote against the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led BJP Government and is ready to sit in opposition. Moreover, the party has further said that no ministers from its quota will join the Modi Government.

Even though induction of Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai is certain, the party has said that if respectable positions in State ministry are not given then Desai will also not take oath on Sunday, reported Nagpur Today.

And as reported, Anil Desai skipped the swearing-in ceremony as Sena did not accept the Minister of State rank for Desai.

However, Shiv Sena’s Suresh Prabhu took oath as Cabinet minister. Prabhu was sworn in under the BJP quota.

Among those inducted, four hold Cabinet berths, three are Ministers of State with independent charge and 14 are Ministers of State. Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, BJP leaders JP Nadda, Chaudhury Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhu are Cabinit Ministers.

Bandaru Dattatreya, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Dr Mahesh Sharma took oath as Minister of State with independent charge.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Giriraj Kishore, Babul Supriyo, Jayant Sinha, YS Chowdhry, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Mohanbhai Kundaria, Ram Kripal Yadav, Sawar Lal Jat, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Vijay Sampla, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Ram Shankar Katheriya and Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhury were sworn in as Minister of State.