Kapil Mishra out, Sisodia is law minister

NEW DELHI: In a development that triggered much speculation, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has stripped minister Kapil Mishra of his portfolio of law and justice, leaving him with the charge of tourism, art and culture, and gurdwara elections and the job of chairperson of Delhi Jal Board. Law and justice has been handed to Kejriwal's most trusted confidant, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.The capital has now seen three law ministers over a period of six months.
On Friday, Mishra wrote to Kejriwal, seeking an FIR based on the report of a fact-finding committee on the Rs 400-crore water tanker scam-wherein the role of former CM Sheila Dikshit has come under scanner. In his letter, Mishra had warned Kejriwal that "this is a big exposé and I am afraid that, immediately after this, there will be attempts to destabilize our government and also to remove me from the chair".
When BJP hit out at Mishra's exit, saying the move smacked of "connivance between AAP and Congress", the CM's office played down the development as mere re-allocation of work. The government also asserted that Mishra's profile is still strong as he held charge of DJB chairperson and tourism-both being critical focus areas of the AAP government.
"This has nothing to do with the DJB tanker scam letter from Mishra to the CM. Mishra is very much the DJB chairperson. The reallocation is no reflection on the work of Mishra as two-and-a-half months is too little time to judge performance. The reason to assign law to the deputy CM is that Mishra is too new to handle a portfolio like law. A senior person like Sisodia was seen to be better for the profile," a source said.
In Mishra's short tenure, the department was in news over the controversy surrounding notification of circle rates which triggered off a tussle between the chief minister and the lieutenant governor. Mishra is learnt to have conveyed the government view sternly to the law secretary, assistant legal adviser and other officials.
Meanwhile, BJP has been quick to criticize the move. Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay said, "The snatching of the law portfolio from Mishra has exposed the nexus between Arvind Kejriwal and the Congress."
"With Mishra as minister, the law department would have pressed for speedy approval of the CM to file an FIR (against Dikshit). Post-Bihar alliance, Kejriwal cannot politically afford to have Dikshit arrested, hence the decision to shunt out Mishra," Upadhyay said.