Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) As petrol price crossed the Rs 100-mark in Delhi, the Congress on Wednesday hit out at the government accusing it of "tax extortion" and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to either bring down inflation or quit.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi charged that the Modi government runs on "tax extortion".

Petrol prices crossed the Rs 100-a-litre mark after fuel prices were increased in line with international oil trends.

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Seven members of the Union Council of Ministers were elevated as cabinet ministers on Wednesday for their persistent performance in their respective portfolios.

At Wednesday's expansion and reshuffle of the council of ministers, Kiren Rijiju, Raj Kumar Singh, Hardeep Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya, G Kishan Reddy, Parshottam Rupala and Anurag Singh Thakur were elevated as cabinet ministers.

New Delhi, July 7 (PTI) Dharmendra Pradhan was on Wednesday inducted as India's new Education Minister while Annapurna Devi, Subhas Sarkar and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh will be the new Ministers of State for Education.

Son of former union minister of state for surface transport, Debendra Pradhan, Dharmendra was Petroleum Minister in the previous Cabinet.

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Bhupender Yadav on Thursday assumed charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Earlier, the minister took charge of the Labour Ministry.

"I am grateful to the prime minister. I have already taken charge as labour minister. Now I take charge as environment minister. I will put my best foot forward to fulfil the responsibility given to me by the PM and the confidence he has shown in me. I will meet all officials and will begin my work, Yadav said.

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Mansukh Mandaviya took charge as the country's new health minister on Thursday.

Mandaviya, a BJP leader from Gujarat's Saurashtra region, replaces Dr Harsh Vardhan, who was dropped from the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

His portfolio assumes utmost significance as the country is in battling a coronavirus pandemic.

Mandaviya will also lead the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Kiren Rijiju on Thursday took charge as the new minister of Law and Justice.

A prominent face from the northeast in the Modi government, Rijiju was on Wednesday elevated as a Cabinet minister in a major reshuffle and expansion of the Union Council of Ministers.

Rijiju takes over the key ministry from Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has resigned from the government.

The Law Ministry is responsible to defend the government in various courts through its law officers and help ministries draft bills and key documents.

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) John Barla, the BJP's Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal's Alipurduar, took charge as the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs on Thursday.

He was welcomed by Union Minority Affairs Minister (Cabinet rank), Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, at the Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, here.

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Ahead of a major cabinet reshuffle, Union Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

Supriyo confirmed his resignation through a post on social media, "I have been asked to resign and I have."

"I thank Prime Minister for giving me the privilege to serve my country as a Member of his Council of Ministers, he posted on his Facebook account.

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, whose handling of the COVID-19 crisis drew flak from critics, resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday, official sources said.

The resignation came hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi carries out a major expansion and reshuffle of his Council of Ministers in which 43 new members are expected to take oath.

New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) Leaders of 10 opposition parties including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Tuesday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing "outrage" at the death of Father Stan Swamy "under custody", and seeking his intervention in holding accountable those responsible for "foisting false cases" on the activist, his continued detention and "inhuman treatment".

The signatories also include NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former prime minister and JDS leader H D Deve Gowda and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.