New Delhi: A day after taking charge, the new Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Dr Virendra Kumar, Friday said his appointment, along with that of a record number of OBCs and SCs, in the Council of Ministers is a reflection of the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas (inclusive development).
“This shows PM Modi’s commitment to Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas. We are only his foot soldiers,” Kumar told ThePrint in an exclusive interview.
Following the induction of 36 fresh faces, the Council of Ministers now has 27 OBC ministers, 12 Scheduled Caste ministers and eight from Scheduled Tribes. The remaining 30 belong to the so-called upper caste categories.
This is unprecedented as the first Modi government in 2014 had 13 OBC ministers, three Dalits, six tribals and 20 upper castes. In 2019, there were 13 OBCs, six Dalits, three tribals and 32 upper castes.
“It also reflects the fact that the government is not just interested in making yojanas (schemes), but is committed to ensuring that these yojanas translate into real change,” Kumar said. “Whether it is Awas Yojana or Ujwala Yojana or Ayushman Bharat or other schemes for backward communities, unlike other governments, the Modi government has taken schemes to the ground level to India’s villages to ensure Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas is a reality.”
The 67-year-old prominent BJP Dalit leader is a seven-time MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh.
He replaced senior Dalit leader Thawar Chand Gehlot as the social justice and empowerment minister in the cabinet overhaul Wednesday. Kumar has been a student leader with the ABVP and the Bajrang Dal and was also jailed during Emergency when he participated in the JP Movement.
“Because I come from a backward community, this ministry provides me with the opportunity to work for my people and my community,” he said. “The party leadership has reposed faith in me for which I am grateful. Especially because from the time I became an MP for the first time in 1996, I have closely interacted with divyangjan (the differently abled people) and the elderly. This ministry gives me the opportunity to work for their betterment.”
Second stint in Union government
While he has bagged a cabinet berth this time around, Kumar had an earlier stint in the Council of Ministers. He had served as a junior minister in the Ministry of Women and Child Development between 2017 and 2019.
Kumar said he will now focus on working for the underprivileged. “We will focus on the development of divyangjan, the elderly, safai karamcharis along with upliftment of backward communities,” he said.
Asked how he plans to proceed after the Supreme Court quashed the Centre’s review plea in the Maratha reservation case and when his ministry plans to finalise a new list of Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), Kumar said it was too early to comment on these issues.
“These issues are important for the ministry at the moment, and we will hold deliberations and meetings soon on these matters. But now it is too early to comment,” he said.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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