In PM Narendra Modi’s absence, Rajnath Singh takes charge

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be touring the US until October 1, has directed that all urgent government business be put up to home minister Rajnath Singh for disposal while he is away. A communication to this effect was sent by cabinet secretary Ajit Seth to some key Cabinet ministers and principal secretary to the PM before Modi left the country.

The note from the cabinet secretary has put to rest recurring speculation on whether Modi officially names a second-in-command before embarking on official visits abroad.

In the note titled 'Working arrangement for disposal of urgent business during absence of the prime minister on tour to USA', Seth said "the prime minister has directed that during the period of his absence on foreign tour from 25th September to 1st October, 2014, urgent business may be put up before the Union home minister for disposal". The communication is marked to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, finance minister Arun Jaitley, urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh. A copy has also been shared with principal secretary to the PM Nripendra Misra.

TOI was the first to report on August 29 that Modi has been following the practice of nominating Singh to chair emergency Cabinet meetings and attend to urgent government business during his absence from the country. A communication to this effect was last sent by PMO to the cabinet secretary prior to his Japan visit. Even though sources close to the home minister confirmed that the latest communication was only a repetition of the arrangement put in place during Modi's earlier trips, this is the first time that a written order about the PM handing over charge of urgent matters to Singh in his absence has been placed in the public domain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with home minister Rajnath Singh at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 15, 2014.

Indications of the home minister's status as the No.2 in the government have been there right from the time the Modi Cabinet was sworn in. Singh was the second minister to take oath after Modi at the May 26 swearing-in ceremony. He was later also named as deputy leader of Lok Sabha.