Anishta Babooram Appointed as Junior Health Minister Amid Public Dispute

President Dharam Gokhool has appointed Anishta Babooram as the new Junior Minister in the Ministry of Health, invoking Article 66 of the Constitution. The move comes after a highly publicized disagreement between Babooram and Gender Equality Minister Arianne Navarre-Marie, prompting her transfer from the Ministry of Gender Equality to assist Health Minister Anil Bachoo.

Public Dispute Leads to Reshuffle

Tensions between Babooram and Navarre-Marie escalated this week after Babooram took to Facebook on Monday, August 4, writing: “I’ve kept silent and tolerated things long enough. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”

Her statement followed her exclusion from the launch of the Ministry of Gender Equality’s 2025-2029 action plan on Friday, August 1.

At a public event later that Monday, Navarre-Marie confirmed that she had not met with Babooram since January. The Gender Equality Minister stated that she had assigned Babooram four key responsibilities:

• The Adoption Bill
• The Domestic Violence Bill
• Revision of foster home policies
• Regulations for childcare centres

However, Navarre-Marie claimed Babooram believed these tasks should be handled by civil servants rather than at the ministerial level.

Political Reaction

When questioned about the conflict during a press conference on Thursday, August 7, Deputy Prime Minister and MMM leader Paul Bérenger described the situation as “unfortunate” and indicated that Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam would determine the appropriate course of action.

With her reassignment to the Health Ministry, Babooram will now work under Minister Anil Bachoo, marking a significant shift in her political role. Observers suggest the move aims to defuse tensions while ensuring continuity in governance.

No official statement has yet been released by the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the matter.

Source: Defi Media