Chief Minister Wanted Home Department, I Offered To Resign: Anil Vij

Anil Vij, a senior BJP leader and six-time MLA, now holds Home, Health, Ayush, Technical Education, and Science and Technology portfolios.

Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said he had offered to resign from the Cabinet after the Urban Local Bodies department was reassigned to a newly inducted minister and was told that he may be divested of the home portfolio as well.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, on the advice of the chief minister, allocated and reallocated portfolios among the members of the Manohar Lal Khattar Council of Ministers on Wednesday consequent to the induction of two new ministers.

The urban local bodies, a key department, was allocated to newly inducted minister Kamal Gupta. Chief Minister Khattar also gave one department under him -- Housing for All -- which also went to Gupta, a two-time BJP MLA from Hisar.

Asked about reports that he had offered to resign from the Council of Ministers, Mr Vij on Thursday said when the chief minister expressed his intent to divest him of the home portfolio and keep it for himself, "I then said, if he so wishes, he may take all portfolios." "I said that I am willing to give up all my portfolios, why just one or two," he told PTI.