Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Chandigarh: Is the Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani back in the reckoning with the Narendra Modi led Central Government. It appears to be so. She has been given the additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which was earlier with senior BJP leader Vankaiah Naidu, who is now NDA’s Vice President of India candidate. Clearly, she has  quietly staged a come back in the top echelons of the Union Cabient.

In July last year the all important HRD Ministry was taken away from her and she was given politically insignificant Textile Ministry. Her shifting to the Textile Ministry at that point of time was described as her political down fall by the political commentators.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is rated among the top of the line Ministries in the Union Government. In Vajpayee Government, this Ministry remained with Sushma Swaraj, who is now External Affairs Minister, for some years. As Smriti has remained associated with the small and big screen for years, this factor must have weighed on the mind of the Prime Minister while giving her additional charge of this ministry. But this also in a way seems to be her political resurrection.

Smriti, born to Bengali mother and Punjabi father in Delhi, had hit the headlines when she was inducted in the Modi led Union cabinet as a Human Resources Development Minister about three years ago. HRD Ministry is considered most important one in the Union Government and it is invariably given to senior leader of the ruling party. Political heavy weights such as Arjun Singh served as HRD Minister in the Central Government.  

A popular model and TV and film actress, Irani joined BJP in 2003. She had a meteoric rise in the politics. Earlier, playing a lead role as Tulsi Virani in Ekta Kapoor’s serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahi Thi, Smriti had become a house hold name and that helped her a lot in politics. Her role in that serial was immensely liked by people especially women across the country.

Death of dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula proved to be too big issue for her to handle. In fact, then her HRD Ministry, which wrote several letters to the Vice Chancellor of the Hyderabad University to act against certain students, was blamed creating trouble in that University where Vemula was a research scholar. Vemula’s death had become a national issue. It remained in the focus for long and the Modi Government had to face lot flak from various sections of the society especially from dalit intellectuals on this issue.  

Smriti educational qualification also remained under scanner for some time as there were people who raised questions in this regard. Immediately after her shifting to the Union Textile Ministry from HRD Ministry, it was stated that RSS leaders played role in her shifting to low rated ministry.

Obviously, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has also its quota of controversies. It has to deal with the Media. All work to build propaganda campaigns in support of the government is done by this ministry. Obviously, it has to manage the negative media reports against the Government.