Piyush Goyal gets charge of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, after Ram Vilas Paswan’s death

After the death of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who handled the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, the portfolio has been assigned to Piyush Goyal. He is currently the Minister of Railways and  Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Government of India.

The Lok Janshakti Party leader died on Thursday, days after he underwent heart surgery in a New Delhi hospital. His death was announced by his son Chirag Paswan on Twitter, who wrote,  “Papa, you are not with us anymore… but wherever you are, I know you will always be with me… Miss you papa.”

Also Read | Ram Vilas Paswan: A shrewd politician with a penchant for food

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, President Ram Nath Kovind, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Giriraj Singh, and other leaders on Friday paid their last respects to the late Union Minister at his residence in New Delhi. 

Also Read | ‘Void in our nation’: PM Modi, others condole Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s death

The National Flags at Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament is flying at half-mast on Friday to condole Paswan’s death. 

The death of Paswan comes a few days ahead of the Bihar elections and days after his son announced the parting of ways with JD(U), with whom the LJP had been in an alliance, along with the BJP, the past couple of years. Chirag while divorcing the JD(U), continued to be in alliance with BJP at the Centre.

Paswan was a member of the Rajya Sabha in his current Parliament tenure and had a political career of more than five decades. He was among the country’s most noted Dalit leaders and eight-time Lok Sabha member.