Thiruvananthapuram: Former Culture Minister and Chengannur MLA Saji Cheriyan took oath as minister for a second time in the Left Democratic Front-led government on Wednesday. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered oath to Saji at a small function held at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening at 4.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other Cabinet ministers were present in the audience. Saji is likely to get his previous portfolios back. He was handling fisheries, cultural affairs and youth welfare before. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) boycotted the ceremony.
The CPM state secretariat member was reintroduced into the cabinet six months after he resigned as fisheries minister following the allegations that one of his speeches degraded the Indian Constitution. Though the governor played hardball initially, he relented later and gave permission to swear Saji Cheriyan in, on Tuesday. CPM state secretariat recently decided to bring him back citing dismissal of a plea seeking disqualification of Saji as MLA by the high court. Police also gave a clean chit to the Alappuzha strongman saying his comments were mere criticism and did not amount to abuse.
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