Washington Post calls Smriti Irani "India's most controversial minister"

New Delhi, July 6: In a big reshuffle in the Cabinet effected by the NDA government on Tuesday (July 5), Smriti Zubin Irani was shunted out of the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry and moved to the textile ministry---a less glamourous profile. Former environment minister Prakash Javadekar, the only one to have been elevated to the cabinet ranking, replaced her. [Telegraph takesn on Smriti Irani again, calls her "Spinderella"]

Irani's removal from the high-profile ministry evoked quite a reaction since she had courted a number of controversies during her two-year stint with the ministry. Speculation was rife that Irani had been removed to enable her to play a key role in Uttar Pradesh where election is due early next year. Others, however, felt that Irani's over-activism had seen her ouster from the important ministry. [Prakash Javadekar replaces Smriti Irani as HRD Minister]

Whatever may be the reasons, Modi's cabinet reshuffle in general and the removal of Irani in particular saw reaction coming out from the foreign media as well.

Here are some of the headlines carried abroad:

Washington Post: "India's most controversial minister gets shifted in a sweeping government reshuffle"

New York Times: "India P.M. removes controversial female politician ahead of elections"

Reuters: "India's Modi expands cabinet into one of biggest in recent years"

Dawn: M.J. Akbar joins Modi cabinet in reshuffle

BD News: 19 new phases in Modi's expanded cabinet

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