Septuagenarian Heptulla resigns
Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla, who had crossed 75 years, resigned on Tuesday from the Union Cabinet along with Minister of State for Heavy Industries G M Siddeshwara. Announcing their resignations, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said these have been accepted.
New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla, who had crossed 75 years, resigned on Tuesday from the Union Cabinet along with Minister of State for Heavy Industries G M Siddeshwara. Announcing their resignations, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said these have been accepted.
There was speculation last week when the PM undertook the reshuffle that Heptulla and Small&Medium Enterprises Minister Kalraj Mishra, who had recently turned 75, could be asked to quit.
Modi is believed to have set an age bar of 75 years for ministers and had kept veterans like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi out of the Cabinet and co-opted them in 'Margdarshak Mandal'.
The Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was Heptulla's deputy, has been assigned the Independent charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. According to government sources, Heptulla (76) was out of country and therefore could not submit her resignation on July 5 though she had decided to do so.
G M Siddeshwara (64), Minister of State of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, too was out of Delhi and could not submit his resignation on July 5, sources said. Siddeshwara, a Lok Sabha member from Karnataka, is believed to be among those who were asked to resign in the reshuffle on July 5 but he had sought more time due to his birthday on the same day.
