Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who was last week dropped from the BJP’s powerful parliamentary board, has opined that the “government is not taking decisions in time”. Addressing NATCON 2022 event in Mumbai, he was quoted as saying that time is “more important than technology or resources”.
Speaking at an event on Sunday as quoted by NDTV, the senior BJP leader said, “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 quality. And time is the most important thing in construction. Time is the biggest capital. The biggest problem is the government is not taking decisions on time.”
However, party leaders believe that Gadkari’s statements were not for any particular government, but for governments in general.
Gadkari, an outspoken leader who enjoys good relations with leaders across the political spectrum, was dropped along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the BJP Parliamentary Board. The exclusion of the two leaders from the BJP’s top decision-making body was seen as an indication of their diminishing political stock. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, perceived as Gadkari’s rival, was included in the BJP Central Election Committee.
On Sunday, Gadkari attributed the BJP’s rise to power to the work done by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Deendayal Upadhyaya. While addressing an event, Gadkari recalled listening to Vajpayee’s speech at the BJP’s 1980 conclave in Mumbai.
“Atalji had said that Andhera chhatega, sooraj niklega, kamal khilega (The darkness will disappear, the Sun will come out and the lotus (BJP’s poll symbol) will bloom) one day,” Gadkari had said, adding, “Atalji, Advaniji, Deendayal Upadhyaya and many workers did such a work that today we are in power under Modiji’s leadership in the country and and in many states.”
Gadkari had also cited RSS ideologue late Dattopant Thengadi while speaking on power-centric politics. “Thengadi ji used to say that every politicians thinks about his next election. He thinks (of next) five years. Because (he thinks) when will the next election come after this election. But every socio-economic reformer who wants to build the society and the country thinks from one century to another century. He thinks of a hundred years. There are no short cuts to this work,” Gadkari had said.
Last month, Gadkari was quoted as saying that he sometimes felt like quitting politics as there is more to life. He also lamented that politics, nowadays, was more about staying in power than being a vehicle for social change.
(with inputs from PTI)
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