Ex-education minister’s widow takes oath as minister in Jharkhand

Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan today administered the oath of office and secrecy to Baby Devi as the 11th Minister of State at the Raj Bhawan.

Devi is the widow of former education minister Jagarnath Mahto, who died on April 6 this year due to lung problems.

The swearing-in ceremony remained for 10 minutes in which very limited persons were present, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren and JMM supremo Shibu Soren, apart from important officials who had their role during the ceremony.

Other ministers were not allowed in office either. The state government shared a link to watch the event. Ministers from the JMM expressed concern over their neglect in office.

Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Mithilesh Thakur, while returning from Raj Bhawan without attending the function, accused Raj Bhavan of working at the behest of the Centre, calling it an "attack on democracy".

"Don't let the ministers go. Don't let your workers go. We won't leave out media people either. It's a complete dictatorship. Raj Bhavan works entirely at the behest of the Centre,” he said. Tourism Minister Hafizul Ansari expressed the same sentiment.

During the swearing-in ceremony, Devi's competence as a minister became evident when she noticed that she was having trouble reading the documents she had given.