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Meanwhile, SP Singh Baghel, the minister of state for law and justice, has been transferred to the health ministry. Baghel, a lawmaker from Agra, was previously associated with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party before joining the BJP.
These changes come in the midst of Rijiju's confrontational stance towards the judiciary. He criticized the collegium system of appointing judges, calling it "opaque" and "alien to the Constitution," stating that judges should be appointed by the government rather than through judicial orders. However, it is unclear whether his remarks played a role in his portfolio change.
Notably, the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud have refrained from engaging in the debate.
An anonymous BJP leader suggested that Rijiju's transfer may be related to the standoff between the judiciary and the executive over the collegium system.
The Supreme Court recently dismissed a plea filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association, which sought action against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Rijiju for their controversial statements about the judiciary and the collegium system.
The association cited various statements made by Rijiju and Dhankhar over the past year, highlighting an ongoing dispute between the executive and the judiciary regarding the selection mechanism of judges and the division of powers.
Dhankhar, too, has raised questions about the collegium system. The Supreme Court has repeatedly reminded the government to strictly adhere to the collegium system, as it is the established law of the land.