Nitin Gadkari slams ‘fabricated’ campaign: Why fiery, outspoken Union minister hit headlines yet again

Union minister Nitin Gadkari is at it again.

On Thursday, the fiery Road Transport and Highways Minister slammed unnamed detractors for a carrying out a “nefarious and fabricated” campaign for political mileage.

“Today, once again, efforts were being made to continue the nefarious and fabricated campaign against me for political mileage on my behest by some section of mainstream media, social media and some persons in particular by concocting my statements at public programmes without context or correct reference," Gadkari tweeted.

He added a YouTube link of his speech made at a book launch function on Tuesday that he said was selectively being used on social media.

“Although, I’ve never been disturbed by such malicious agendas of fringe elements but all concerned are hereby warned that if such mischief continues, I will not hesitate to take them to the law in the larger interest of our Government, Party and millions of our hardworking Karyakartas,” he tweeted tagging BJP president JP Nadda and Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Let’s take a closer look at the controversy surrounding Gadkari:

What did Gadkari say?

Gadkari at the book launch Tuesday narrated an old incident where he had taken up the cause of building a road to a village in Maharashtra and had told the official concerned that if he stood by him, it was fine and if he wished not to, it was also fine with him.

“… I am not bothered about the consequences but I will do this job. If possible, stand by me, else I am not bothered,” he had said at the event referring to his conversation with the official concerned.

The minister in the tweet on Thursday said he was sharing the link of what he had actually said at the book launch to clear the air.

Gadkari’s statement was interpreted by some on social media as him hinting that he was not bothered about losing his position and that something is amiss within the BJP.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh had tweeted that truncated video, wondering why Gadkari was saying this.

“BJP mein bahut badi gadbad chal rahi hai (there is something amiss in BJP),” Singh tweeted on Thursday morning.

This comes on the same day that The Times of India quoted multiple senior BJP sources as saying that the former party president was dropped from the parliamentary board for his propensity to make “out of turn” and colourful remarks.

Sources told the newspaper Sangh leadership cautioned the former BJP chief over his tendency to  make remarks that hit the headlines used by opponents and others to cause embarrassment to the party and government at the Centre as well as the Sangh.

The RSS, disappointed by Gadkari’s failure to heed their advice suggested that the BJP leadership take suitable action including removing him from the parliamentary board, as per the newspaper.

“Somewhere he became a prisoner of the ‘I-could-not-care-any less’ persona that he acquired because of his controversial remarks. He cultivated it as we feel, he started enjoying projecting himself as an autonomous entity on whom the regular rules did not apply, a source told The Times of India.

Sources said both BJP and the Sangh leadership are in agreement that nobody, independent of his stature, could be allowed to be an exception to the rules of organisational conduct.

‘Not taking decisions in time’

Gadkari at an event on Sunday reportedly said the Centre is “not taking decisions in time”.

“You can make miracles…and the potential is there…My suggestion is the future of Indian infrastructure is very bright. We need to accept good technology, good innovation, good research and successful practices in the world and in the country. We should have alternative materials by which we can reduce costs without compromising on the quality. And time is the most important thing in the construction. Time is the biggest capital. The biggest problem is the government is not taking decisions on time,” Gadkari said, as per NDTV.

Time is “more important than technology or resources”, Gadkari addressing NATCON 2022, organised by the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers, Mumbai, said, as per the report.

Gadkari at another event attributed the party’s rise to power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the efforts of previous leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, as per The Print.

Speaking at an event of the Lakshmanrao Mankar Smruti Sanstha, an educational institution in Nagpur Sunday, Gadkari said, “Atal ji, Advani ji, Deendayal Upadhyay ji, several other karyakartas worked so hard that today we have risen to power under Modi ji‘s leadership at the Centre and in many states.”

“Atal ji got up for his speech and he said ‘I can see that the sun is setting’,” Gadkari recalled.

Gadkari quoted Vajpayee, who became PM in 1998, as saying, “Andhera chatega, sooraj niklega, aur kamal khilega (The darkness will fade, the sun will rise and the lotus will bloom).”

Referring to the former Indian Prime Minister’s words, Gadkari said, “When he was saying this, everyone was convinced that maybe today we are in a bad condition, but that day will come.”

Dropped from parliamentary board

Gadkari was last week dropped from the BJP’s parliamentary board in a major overhaul as BJP chief JP Nadda reconstituted the party’s parliamentary board and Central Election Committee.

Gadkari was also dropped from the party’s poll panel.

The parliamentary board is the governing body of the BJP that takes day-to-day decisions on behalf of the national executive.

The national executive sets up the highest decision-making body consisting of the party chief and ten other members.

As per The Print, Gadkari earlier in August said he thought about quitting politics and that it has become “100 per cent sattakaran (powerplay).”

“I think a lot about when I should quit politics. There are more things worth doing in life than politics,” Gadkari added.

With inputs from agencies

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