Who is Kamla Beniwal, and why was she sacked?

Kamla Beniwal, 87 year old veteran Congress leader, has been sacked by the government as the Governor of Mizoram two months prior to her actual tenure. Earlier, as the Governor of the state of Gujarat for four years, she had running disparities with the then Chief Minister of the state, Narendra Modi. Here is all that you need to know about Kamla Beniwal.

1) Beniwal was born in 1927 in the village Gaurir in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district in a Jat family. She has completed her BA in Economics, Political Science and History. 

2) At the tender age of eleven, joined the Indian Freedom Struggle; participated in the voluntary team of girls known as "Captain of Girls" from Banasthali Vidhyapith during the first Session of the "Praja Mandal" held in 1938. 

3) At the age of 27, Beniwal became the first female minister in Rajasthan in 1954. As a minister with the Indian National Congress (INC), she served as the Revenue Minister in Ashok Gehlot's government.

3) Beniwal had participated in the International Co-Operative Congress held in Moscow in 1980.

4) From 1980 to 1990, as Cabinet Minister, Beniwal held many portfolios including: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Revenue, Irrigation, Rajasthan Canal (Indira Gandhi Canal), Colonization, Canal Area Development, Ground Water, Energy, Urban Development, Sanskrit, Ayurved, Language, Technical Education, Election, Integrated Rural Development, Art and Culture, Tourism, Special Schemes, Soldier Welfare, Sheep and Wool as well as Forest Departments. 

Also read: Opposition parties slam Centre over sacking of Mizoram Governor Kamla Beniwal; government defends move

4) On January 28, 2001, she was bestowed with the degree of “Vachaspati D Lit” by the Lal Bahadoor Shastri Sanskrit Vidhyapith in New Delhi for her contribution in the language of Sanskrit.

5) She was also honoured with the Award of “Woman of the Year 2001” by the American Biographical Institute.

6) In 2003, Beniwal assumed the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and then became the Governor of Tripua. 

7) In 2009, Beniwal was appointed the Governor of Tripura. She was the first female governor any Northeast Indian state had.

8) A month later, again in 2009, Beniwal was appointed the Governor of Gujarat.

9) As the Governor, she appointed Justice RA Mehta for the Lokayukta since the governing body in the state had not been taking any decisions for a prolonged period. Thus Beniwal's decision had bypassed Modi without consulting the government. She is also accused for sitting over legislations passed by the State Assembly, on account of it being 50% reservations for women in local bodies.

10) In 2014, when the new BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, Beniwal got transferred to the Northeast as the Governor of Mizoram to continue her remaining tenure. 

11) In Rajasthan, Beniwal along with other ministers were accused in the Rs 1,000 crore Jaipur Development Authority land scam. She is alleged to have allocated expensive land on low prices based on false affidavits and documents. This case is currently being pursued as the major reason for her getting sacked just a month after her transfer. 

Kamala Beniwal was Member of

1) Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee
2) All India Congress Committee
3) Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Executive Committee
4) Rajasthan Pradesh Election Committee
5) Jaipur Rural District Congress Executive Committee.  

She was also the Chairman of Election Campaign Committee; President of Rajasthan Pradesh Mahila Congress;  Joint Secretary, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress;  and Convener, Rajasthan Pradesh Committee Sadbhavna Yatra Publicity Sub-Committee.