Sibal digs in his heels as Law Minister

Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who assumed additional charge of Law Minister, following the resignation of Ashwani Kumar, has been reluctant to take up the job all along. Sibal was persuaded to change his mind, following the force of circumstances. Assuming charge, Sibal said, "I am thankful to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for assigning me this job. With a year to go for next Lok Sabha elections, I will do my best to fulfil the responsibilities." With cases against the BJP prime ministerial f ace Narendra Modi poised at a delicate stage, the Law Minister can play an important role.

Grapevine has it that Sibal has a clear mind of his own. The BJP, which has turned the heat on the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre on corruption, has several skeletons in its cupboard. It requires a legal luminary to assess legal issues, its political fallout and diligently going about the tasks. For instance, when Modi camp fielded the likes of Ram Jethmalani in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case to defend Amit Shah, the CBI needs to have a lawyer, who can stand up to him and match him in his wit and legal acumen. With Sibal at the helm of Law Ministry, the Congress feels more confident of competent handling of the challenges ahead.