Modi's Cabinet: No regrets about myself, but feel sorry for Hema, says Shatrughan Sinha

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced his new set of ministers. Surprisingly there not many entrants from the entertainment industry. Even the indomitable Shatrughan Sinha has not been inducted in the new ministry. To add insult to injury, Bollywood singer the relatively inexperienced Babul Supriyo is the new Minister of State for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.

Understandably there is a sense of dismay among Shatrughan Sinha supporters in Bihar who have felt for a very long time that he should be given an important cabinet ranking. Speaking from his residence in Mumbai Shatrughan explains, “As you can see I have maintained my calm and I am at home in Mumbai, not running around in Delhi. I know my supporters feel that I should be in the ministry. But honestly I haven't let the thought bother me. I have been a part of BJP from the it's initial days. I am proud to say that I have been a loyal and staunch soldier of the party. I have never crossed parties or threatened to join others. I am happy being a loyal soldier.”

But what about the regret of his supporters who feel he deserves a cabinet-rank post? “I have never hankered for a post. Neither do I have the time to take on added responsibility. Moreover people like Hema and I are individuals with a certain standing . We don’t necessarily need an endorsement from the parent party," he shrugs. Having said this, he also expressed unhappiness about his colleague Hema Malini’s exclusion from the ministry. “Hema is a cultural ambassador of our country. I feel she deserves a suitable cabinet designation. But who I am to question the party’s decisions? I am happy being the lieutenant of the party. I am neither questioning nor challenging the party’s decision.”