Essar yacht row: Didn't take money from any corporate entity, says Gadkari

Mumbai: Following media reports about Nitin Gadkari having enjoyed the hospitality of the Essar group during a French cruise with his family, the Union Minister of Transport and National Highways on Friday clarified that he had never taken money from corporate groups for the tours. “I have never taken money from corporate groups for the tours. I was going to Norway with my family and I paid for the entire tour. I took a ride on the yacht as Ruia family invited me upon learning my visit to Europe. Since I like to see new things, I went there to see it. But, I was not an MP or minister at that time and it was a private tour,” said Gadkari while addressing the media at the state BJP headquarters. [caption id=“attachment_2126109” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nitin Gadkari. PTI[/caption] “Since there was no other option, I had to take the chopper to land on the yacht,” Gadkari said responding to a query when asked about who paid the expenses for the chopper and stay at the yacht. Meanwhile PTI quoted him as saying, “I bought tickets from Frankfurt from our own money. Boarding, lodging, everything for the private family visit was taken care of from the family account.” According to the media reports, Essar Group sponsored a trip on a foreign yacht for Gadkari and his family. The report goes on to mention how the group, to push its business interests, showered individuals in positions of power and influence with gifts and favours. It also said that former minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Motilal Vora and BJP’s Varun Gandhi referred candidates for jobs in Essar. Making light of the controversy, Gadkari said,“I have even eaten inside The Indian Express’ penthouse. I have even visited the homes of some of you (journalists). People invite me as I am accessible,” Gadkari said. Earlier in the day, the BJP had refused to comment on the issue. “This kind of news keeps coming every day. We don’t need to react to this,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the media in Delhi. With PTI inputs