Kiren Rijiju takes charge as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, urges opposition to "cooperate"

New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kiren Rijiju urged the opposition parties to "cooperate" in Parliament as he took charge as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday. He was accompanied by his colleagues, Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal and Dr L Murugan, along with other top officials of the ministry. After taking charge, Rijiju extended his gratitude to the media persons and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the media persons, Kiren Rijiju said, "First up of all I want to thank media persons who have arrived at the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to witness the official charge-taking ceremony. I want to thank PM Narendra Modi Ji for entrusting me with such a huge responsibility.""I, along with Arjun Ram Meghwal Ji and Dr L Murugan Ji are committed to our job to fulfill the PM's wish to run the parliamentary affairs smoothly while taking everybody along successfully. We will reach out to everyone in every possible manner," he added. He also urged the opposition parties for "kind cooperation" in the Parliament and said contribution is needed by everyone in the Parliament. "I would also like to urge all the political parties, all the members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for their kind cooperation. Parliament is a place where we discuss about future and developmental prospects of the country. Each member of parliament is committed towards only one motive, i.e., development. That's why we need everyone's contribution in administering parliament. As PM voice the spirit of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', we would like to start this spirit with parliament only," Rijiju said. Kiren Rijiju is one of the Bharatiya Janata Party's strong leaders representing the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Kiren Rijiju who held the portfolios of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Ministry of Earth Sciences earlier served as the Union Minister of Law and Justice from July 2021 to May 2023. Rijiju got the charge of Food Processing Industries in March 2024 and the Earth Sciences Ministry in May 2023. From May 2019 to July 2021, Rijiju was the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs. In the first term of the Narendra Modi government, he was the Union Minister of State in Home Affairs from May 2014 to May 2019. Earlier in 2007, he was a Member of the Standing Committee on Energy as well as a Member of the Consultative Committee in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Development of North Eastern Region. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Rijiju defeated Congress state president Nabam Tuki from Arunachal West constituency by a margin of 100738 votes. He has been holding the Arunachal West seat since 2004. The BJP won both the seats in Arunachal Pradesh in the 2022 Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)