8 new ministers in Modi cabinet have criminal cases, says NGO report

Eight of the newly inducted ministers in the Union cabinet have criminal cases against them, a report released by election watchdog Non-Governmental Organisation’s on Monday said.

The NGOs -- National Election Watch and Association of Democratic Reforms -- said after the analysis of these ministers' self-declared affidavits given to the Election Commission, it was found that amongst the new ministers four have serious criminal cases related to attempt to murder, communal disharmony and electoral violations.

As many as 21 new ministers were on Sunday sworn-in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet.

An analysis report released today said new Minister Dr Ramshankar Katheria, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Agra, has declared a case related to attempt to murder and one related to promoting enmity between different groups registered against him.

It also said that new Minister and Nawada MP Giriraj Singh has declared a case related to undue influence at an election under Section 171F of the Indian Penal Code registered against him.

Referring to the assets of these new Ministers, the report said Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh Y S Chowdary has declared assets to the tune of Rs 189.69 crore while Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha, son of senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, possesses assets worth Rs 55.67 crore while Gautam Budh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma holds assets worth Rs 47.37 crore.

The lone women inductee in the Cabinet Sadhavi Niranjan Jyoti, the report said, has assets to the tune of Rs 37.63 lakh.

On the educational qualifications of these new ministers, the report said Jayant Sinha, who took charge as MoS Finance, has done his MBA (Distinction) from Harvard Business School, Boston USA in 1992.

While Katheria has a doctorate, BJP MP from Bihar's Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy has done his MA in Economics from MagadhUniversity, Bodh Gaya in 1987.