Political Journey after Independence
After independence , Shastri became a minister in Uttar Pradesh state , in charge of the Police and Transport portfolio in Govind Ballabh Pant's cabinet . Among his initiatives in that position were the appointment of women as bus conductors , and a direction to the police that water jets be used instead of lathis to disperse unruly mobs .
Shastri was made the General Secretary of the All - India Congress Committee , with Jawaharlal Nehru as the President , in 1951. The same year he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha . Nehru drew him into the union cabinet .
Shastri was the railways minister , though he resigned in 1956 , taking moral responsibility for a serious rail accident . But he was soon drawn back into the cabinet , and in 1961 , he was appointed home minister ; in this capacity he achieved a reputation of being a skilful mediator , and he also formed the Committee on Prevention of Corruption headed by K. Santhanam the basis of whose recommendations the Central Vigilance Commission was established .
He had also been Minister for Transport and Communications ; Minister for Commerce and Industry ; and , during Nehru's illness , Minister without Portfolio .
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