Congress takes pot-shots at Narendra Modi's choice of ministers

New Delhi: Terming as “lacklustre" Narendra Modi's new Council of Ministers, Congress took pot-shots at the new government saying its HRD Minister Smriti Irani was "not even a graduate". Wondering how can someone who has been made in charge of HRD has not even clearly mentioned her educational qualifications, Congress leader Ajay Maken tweeted: "What a Cabinet of Modi! HRD Minister (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her affidavit at ECI site pg 11". In her affidavit before the Election Commission, Irani has stated her last education as "Bachelor of Commerce Part-1, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi-1994. Irani's biodata at the Rajya Sabha website states "Educated at Holy Child Auxilium, Delhi and School of Correspondence and Continuing Education, University of Delhi, Delhi."

Maken said the 45-member ministry was lacklustre and lacked regional balance as also administrative experience. He said the ministry can in no way be compared to the UPA-I cabinet which had members like Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Natwar Singh, Arjun Singh, Shivraj Patil and Sharad Pawar. Taking a jib at the Prime Minister, Maken wondered as to why he has not been able to appoint a full-fledged Defence Minister. He recalled that Modi had made defence a key issue during election campaign and made statements critical of China and Pakistan.

Maken claimed that no Cabinet Minister has been inducted from Rajasthan to facilitate induction of Jaswant Singh in the Defence Ministry to checkmate Vasundhara Raje. Singh has been expelled from the BJP but had recently met BJP veteran L K Advani. Maken said that there was "regional imbalance" in Modi's ministry as there was "zero representation" from a number of states like Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and six Union Territories. He said that Gujarat despite giving 26 MPs to the BJP could only get one MoS berth besides Modi as Prime Minister. 

Maken also said that Madhya Pradesh has only three  ministers in the Council even as 27 BJP MPs won from the state  ruled by Shivraj Singh Chouhan while there is only one MoS  from Jharkhand, where the BJP won 12 seats.  The AICC Communication department Chairman also said that  the Modi government did not include many young faces unlike  Manmohan Singh led UPA-II government in which a number of  young ministers like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jiten Prasada,  Agatha Sangma, Arun Yadav and others were inducted.  

He claimed that over all Modi's council of ministers  lacked administrative and political experience. Maken also  disapproved of clubbing of ministries.  In his tweets, Maken said, "What a Cabinet of Modi? In  almost every election speech he challenged China, Pakistan  etc, but could not find a Defence Minister!"  "What a Cabinet of Modi? 10 States and 6 UTs  unrepresented!."  In a restructuring of his Cabinet, Prime Minister  Narendra Modi today combined 17 related ministries into seven  different groups, including some infrastructure departments,  in an apparent bid to ensure synergy and better results.   

Meanwhile, Government termed as"unfortunate" the Congress swipe over HRD Minister Smriti Irani's educational qualification and said the opposition party should focus on its own affairs.