Nitin Gadkari says some people play ‘caste card’ to get party ticket for polls, lauds BJP leaders for ‘rising above’ identity politics

Nagpur: Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Monday said many a time when people fail to get election tickets on the basis of their work, they play “caste card” to secure nomination. [caption id=“attachment_4757981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Nitin Gadkari. AFP[/caption] He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi “for never invoking his caste” and listed a number of prominent politicians who rose above the identity of caste and religion to carve out a niche for themselves. The Union minister was addressing the gathering at the ‘Akhil Bhartiya Mali Samaj Mahaadiveshan’, organised by the Mahatma Phule Shikshan Sanstha. Gadkari, a former BJP president, said, “When people fail to get a (poll) ticket on the basis of their work (krututva), they play caste card.” “I want to ask — did George Fernandes (a former Union minister and socialist stalwart) belong to any caste? He did not belong to any caste…he was a Christian. Did Indira Gandhi come to power because of caste? “Did Ashok Gehlot belong to your caste? But he became Chief Minister of Rajasthan when people from other caste groups helped him,” he said. “People had told me that women should get reservation, ‘I said yes they should get reservation’. But, I immediately asked them, did Indira Gandhi get reservation. For several years she ruled the country and became popular. “Similarly, did Vasundhara Raje and Sushma Swaraj (BJP leaders) get reservation?” said Gadkari to buttress his argument that caste was not instrumental in the success of these politicians. Gadkari said, “In politics, those who do good work, don’t have to ask for votes as the votes come to them naturally.” He added, “PM Modi has never said he belongs to a backward community.”