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Two senior Indian ministers resign

Xinhua, July 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

Two senior Indian ministers have resigned, barely a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejigged his Cabinet, inducting 19 new faces.

Indian Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla and junior Heavy Industries Minister GM Siddeshwara put in their papers Tuesday and were relieved of their portfolios by President Pranab Mukherjee later that evening.

While Heptulla cited "personal reasons" for her resignation, sources said that she was asked to quit as she was above 75 years in age -- the ceiling for holding a cabinet post as per the unwritten rules of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Junior Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has taken over from Heptulla and has been given independent charge of the Ministry.

On the other hand, Siddeshwara, a BJP leader from the southern state of Karnataka, was asked to resign as sources said the prime minister and the BJP chief were not happy with his performance. He was asked to quit last week.

The portfolio held by Siddeshwara has been over by Babul Supriyo, who was earlier the junior Urban development minister.

The Cabinet reshuffle took place on July 5 and five ministers were dropped that day.

The council of ministers now has 76 ministers against the limit of 82 as mandated by the Indian Constitution. Endit