Prakash Javadekar gets charge of heavy industries as Arvind Sawant quits

Union minister Prakash Javadekar was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises on Tuesday, just hours after Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant stepped down from the post citing moral grounds.

President Ram Nath Kovind in the earlier accepted Sawant`s resignation and allocated the ministry to Javadekar who is already heading two other ministries, Information and Broadcasting, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The Shiv Sena MP on Monday resigned from the Union cabinet after his party walked away from NDA over the power-sharing agreement in Maharashtra.

"I took oath on May 30 as Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. BJP went back from their pre-election promises. During Lok Sabha elections, it was discussed that there would be equal sharing of power including the chief ministerial post. BJP is denying this now," he had told reporters in the national capital.

"It would not have been morally right for me to continue in the Centre as a new government is about to form in Maharashtra. So I have submitted my resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he had added.

BJP has cleared that it would not be forming government in Maharashtra owing to its relations with its ally Shiv Sena that turned bitter after Assembly polls.

Shiv Sena has asked for the Chief Ministerial post, a demand which was turned down by BJP which is the single largest party in Maharashtra.