BJP MP from Bengal's Alipurduar John Barla after taking charge as Minister of State for Minority Affairs said people of Bengal are scared of the state government and that peace will come through development and the Centre will bring an environment of peace.
John Barla took charge in the presence of Union Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Barla said, "I will work for people of my country, specially for tea labourers and minorities of my constituency. People are a little scared because of current government in West Bengal. We want peace. And, peace will come through development. We will bring an environment of peace."
John Barla took to Twitter to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inducting him into the council of ministers.
"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation as Union Minister of Minority Affairs Ministry," he tweeted.
Mr Barla was in the news after the student's wing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on June 22 filed a complaint against him and another BJP MP Soumitra Khan for their alleged statement demanding statehood for North Bengal and Jangalmahal.
As many as 43 leaders took oath on Wednesday in the first Union Cabinet reshuffle and expansion after Prime Minister Modi returned to power for a second term in May 2019. The swearing-in ceremony, which took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan following Covid protocols, came days ahead of the monsoon session of parliament.
Some of the key figures inducted into Union cabinet include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bhupender Yadav, Sarbananda Sonowal and Pashupati Kumar Paras.
Seven women MPs took oath as Union Ministers in the expanded council of ministers, including Anupriya Patel, Shobha Karandlaje, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Meenakshi Lekhi, Annapurna Devi, Pratima Bhoumik and Bharati Pravin Pawar.
Meanwhile, seven Ministers of State (MoS) have been promoted as Union Cabinet Ministers. Former MoS G Kishan Reddy, Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Singh Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri, Raj Kumar Singh, Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya took oath on July 7.
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