Mr. Bansal and Mr. Kumar took over as railway and law ministers, respectively, in late October as part of the prime minister's move to refurbish the government's image and to prepare for the elections.

WSJ: Two India Ministers Resign Over Corruption-Related Cases

Mr Gandhi has launched his party's campaign at a time when his government's image is at an all-time low.

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"Unverified reports are on an upward trend, and to a certain extent that has undermined the government's image, disrupted the information order, reduced the credibility of the media and brought a strong social response, " the agency said.

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