Kiren Rijiju gets additional charge of food processing ministry after Pashupati Kumar Paras’s resignation

President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement today (March 20). Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, it said.

Paras resigned on Tuesday (March 19) as he accused the BJP of doing injustice with his Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) by excluding it from the seat-sharing deal with allies for the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar. His announcement came at a press conference a day after the BJP-led NDA announced its seat-sharing pact and gave five seats to the Chirag Paswan-led LJP (Ram Vilas), ignoring his faction’s claims.

“The President of India, as advised by the prime minister, has accepted the resignation of Pashupati Kumar Paras from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

Further, as advised by the prime minister, the President has directed that Kiren Rijiju be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in addition to his existing portfolio, it added.

(With inputs from Avinash Tiwari)