New Delhi: Laughing off the questions on her transfer, former HRD Minister Smriti Irani today took charge of the Textiles Ministry with a smile on her face.
"Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna (People will speak, it's their wont to speak)," said the 40-year-old Minister while taking over as Textile Minister.
"My focus will be on increasing export and giving power to the weavers," he added.
In a sarcastic tone, she said, "You (to media) all have come here in Textiles Ministry in such huge numbers probably for the first time."
A day after being shifted to the Textile ministry in a major cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, Irani thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving her the opportunity to serve the country.
Irani, who was hand-picked by PM Modi for the top job but faced several controversies in her two years tenure as the HRD minister, also thanked officials for the steady support to ensure accomplishment of Modi’s vision of quality education to all.
After being shunted out from the crucial HRD ministry to low profile Textile ministry, she said that she is now looking forward to work with the textile ministry officials.
Irani, who regularly hogged headlines for her controversial statements, will replace Santosh Gangwar, who has been appointed as the minister of state for finance.
As Education minister, Smriti Irani courted many controversies during her two-year tenure, including claims of possessing a Yale degree, her ire against ex-Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian and open criticism of academics like Anil Kakodkar.
She was also blamed of inept handling of the Rohith Vemula case and the JNU controversy.
