Raj Kumar Anand. (Photo: Twitter@Raaj Kumar Anand)The AAP government in Delhi Wednesday picked its Patel Nagar MLA Raj Kumar Anand as its newest cabinet minister. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for his approval.
Anand has been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party since its formation in 2012. Before that, he was associated with the anti-corruption movement. He did his MA in Political Science.
This comes after former Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned from the cabinet earlier this month after his involvement in a “conversion” event was highlighted by BJP leaders. President Droupadi Murmu accepted Gautam’s resignation Tuesday.
Though Gautam rejected the BJP’s allegations that anti-Hindu statements were made at the event where thousands of people converted to Buddhism, he resigned and blamed the Opposition party for creating a “needless controversy”.
The Union Ministry of Home Affair’s gazette notification Tuesday said, “President is pleased to accept, on the advice of the Chief Minister of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the resignation of Shri Rajendra Pal Gautam, a Minister in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, with immediate effect.”
Blaming the BJP for the controversy, Gautam had said in his resignation letter he had not insulted Hindu gods and goddesses at the event and only repeated the vow taken by B R Ambedkar when he had converted to Buddhism. He also said did not want the AAP to suffer because of him before the Gujarat Assembly elections.