Why was Kapil Mishra removed as Law Minister in AAP govt barely 2 months after taking charge?

Questions are being raised on the sudden removal of Aam Aadmi Party's Kapil Mishra as the Law Minister in the Delhi government. It was barely two months ago that Mishra took charge, after his predecessor Jitender Singh Tomar's resignation over charges of possessing fake degrees.

Although the AAP government is downplaying it as a routine "reallocation" of work, the decision is attributed to Mishra's recommendations of filing an FIR against former Delhi CM Shiela Dixit.

Where Mishra might have slipped

The move comes three days after Mishra wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, recommending an FIR against Sheila Dikshit in a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) water tanker "scam". The alleged scam - in hiring water tankers - reportedly cost the state exchequer Rs 400 crore, in losses.

In the letter, Mishra expressed apprehension over possible attempts to "remove" him. "This is a big expose. I am afraid that immediately after this, there will be attempts to destabilise our government in Delhi, and also to remove me from this chair," he wrote.

Reaction from the opposition

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay, while talking to The Indian Express, termed the Cabinet reshuffle a political gambit and an expose of the connivance between Kejriwal and the Congress. Upadhyay also pointed out that after his alliance with Bihar, Kejriwal cannot politically afford to have Dikshit arrested. Thus, the decision to suddenly shunt out Mishra has been taken, he said.

Is the Law Ministry hexed for AAP?

The Law department is widely seen as being 'jinxed' for the AAP as in its earlier short-lived term in 2013, its then Law Minister Somnath Bharti had kicked up a row following a midnight raid against women of African origin. Jitendra Singh Tomar's resignation continued the trend.

Meanwhile, Kapil Mishra, whose Law portfolio has gone to Deputy CM Manish Sisodia , will continue to be in charge of Tourism and Water departments.