Tamil Nadu Minister RS Rajakannappan was on Tuesday divested of his transport portfolio after an official alleged that the minister used a casteist slur against him.
On the recommendations of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the portfolios of transport, nationalised transport and Motor Vehicles Act held by Mr Rajakannappan would now be handled by Minister SS Sivasankar, a Raj Bhavan release said.
Welfare of Backward Classes, the Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities department held by Mr Sivasankar has been allocated to Mr Rajakannappan and he is re-designated as Minister for Backward Classes Welfare.
The divestment of the portfolio, the first after the DMK assumed power in May 2021 assumes significance since the ruling party (unlike the previous AIADMK regimes) does not generally resort to it barring exceptions.
The move is a sequence to an allegation made by a Block Development Officer belonging to Ramanathapuram District. He had alleged that Mr Rajakannappan had on March 27 rebuked him using caste name.
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