New Delhi: Raghuvinder Shokeen, MLA from Nangloi Jat, will take the oath of office at 6pm on Friday. Raghuvinder Shokeen replaced Kailash Gahlot as a cabinet minister. Gahlot left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the BJP, creating a vacancy in the Delhi Cabinet.
Earlier on November 18, the ruling AAP had announced that Shokeen will be the new Cabinet minister in the Atishi government. Shokeen is a Jat leader from outer Delhi. Acting swiftly to address the fallout from Gahlot’s exit, the AAP announced the induction of Shokeen.
BJP accused of having ‘anti-Jat mindset’
On December 10, the AAP had alleged that the BJP had an “anti-Jat mindset” as the party cited the “delay” in the swearing-in of Shokeen as a minister in the Delhi government. In a press conference, AAP leaders raised question over the “delay” in the swearing-in of Shokeen. “The BJP’s anti-Jat mindset has been exposed,” AAP’s chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar had charged. “The AAP government on November 18 sent the file to appoint MLA Raghuvinder Shokeen as a Cabinet minister but it hasn’t been approved yet,” Kakkar had pointed out. AAP leader Anurag Dhandha asked, “Does the BJP not want a Jat leader to become a minister?”
As per the procedure, the file for the appointment of a new member to the Delhi Cabinet is sent by the Chief Minister to the Delhi LG office to seek the nod of President of India.
Shokeen has been with the AAP since its initial days. He was formally welcomed by senior party leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia noted that Shokeen’s selection was aimed at garnering support from the Jat community, essentially rural voters, as the AAP readies for the upcoming elections. After being inducted into the Cabinet, Shokeen thanked the party for the opportunity and emphasised AAP’s dedication to inclusivity, and its focus on efforts to bring together all sections of society.
