Kiren Rijiju takes over as Minister of Law and Justice from R S Prasad

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and prominent face from the northeast in the Modi government, Kiren Rijiju took charge as the new minister of Law and Justice on Thursday.

"It is a huge responsibility for me to work as a Minister for Law and Justice. Fulfilling public expectations will be my priority. We will always try to be transparent," said Rijiju after assuming charge of the office at 11.30 a.m. at Shastri Bhawan.

In a major reshuffle and expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, the minister takes over the key ministry from Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was ousted from the Modi cabinet on Wednesday and resigned from the government.

The Law Ministry plays a key role in the transfer, posting and elevation of the Supreme Court and High Court judges as well as to defend the government in various courts through its law officers and help ministries draft bills and key documents.

Rijiju has been elevated to the cabinet minister rank. Earlier, he had been serving as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Ayush portfolios.

Soon after the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, Rijiju took to Twitter to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him a new responsibility and said, "I will work in a dedicated manner to fulfilling Prime Minister's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat".

The Minister presently represents Arunachal Pradesh West constituency in Lok Sabha and holds a law degree from Delhi University.

Rijiju was first elected to Lok Sabha after the 2004 general election. He lost the election in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2019.

The Minister has also served as Minister of State for Home Affairs. He is among six Union Ministers who have been promoted to the cabinet in Wednesday's mega reshuffle.