Indian Defense Minister Resigns, Finance Minister Gets Additional Charge

Indian defense minister, Manohar Parrikar has stepped down from the post on Monday and will be replaced by Arun Jaitley who is also the finance minister of India.

Manohar Parrikar will be taking oath as chief minister of Goa on Tuesday. President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation. In an official statement the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the office of the President of India) said, “The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Manohar Parrikar, from the Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution.”

This is the second time Arun Jaitley will be heading the defense ministry after a short stint in 2014 after the BJP (the ruling party) came to power.

“I have tendered my resignation as defence minister and have sent it to the PMO. I will be taking the oath (as Goa chief minister) tomorrow evening, along with the cabinet ministers,” Parrikar told PTI.