The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) has unveiled startling findings regarding the composition of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led third Cabinet, revealing that 28 ministers are embroiled in criminal cases. According to the report, 19 of these ministers are facing serious charges, ranging from attempted murder to offenses against women and hate speech.
Among those facing the most severe allegations are Shantanu Thakur, the Minister of State for ports, Shipping, and Waterways, and Sukanta Majumdar, the Minister of State for Education and the Development of the North Eastern Region. Both have declared cases related to attempted murder under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.
Five ministers have cases related to crimes against women
Furthermore, the ADR's investigation highlights another troubling statistic: five ministers have pending cases related to crimes against women. They are Minister of State (MoS) for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Thakur, Majumdar, MoS for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi and Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram. Additionally, the ADR report identifies eight ministers with cases related to hate speech. A total of 28 out of 71 ministers (39 per cent) have declared criminal cases, it said. The new Council of Ministers that took the oath on June 9 has 72 members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
99% of new ministers are crorepatis: ADR
The ADR report also stated that seventy out of 71 ministers in the new council of ministers are crorepatis with average assets among them amounting to Rs 107.94 crores. Among the ministers, six stand out for their particularly high asset declarations, each exceeding Rs 100 crores, the Association of Democratic Reforms said. Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development and Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications, tops the list with a staggering total asset declaration of Rs 5705.47 crores. His assets include Rs 5598.65 crores in movable assets and Rs 106.82 crores in immovable assets.
Modi Cabinet 3.0 formed on June 9
About 99 per cent of the new ministers are crorepatis. Out of the 71 ministers analyzed, an overwhelming 70 have declared assets in the crorepati range, highlighting a significant concentration of wealth among the country's political leadership. The report, which provides a detailed financial overview of these ministers, indicates that the average assets among them amount to Rs 107.94 crores. It should be mentioned here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his 71 ministers, took oath on June 9 as the new coalition government was formed after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a majority on its own.
(With PTI inputs)
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