‘Socioeconomic equality is the key, not caste divisions, says Nitin Gadkari
HTLS 2024: Union minister Nitin Gadkari said the BJP has addressed the perception problem that dogged it during the Lok Sabha polls.
NEW DELHI: Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has expressed concerns about the opposition’s demand for a caste census, pointing out that backwardness has become an issue for political exploitation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Nagpur also believes that his party and the Mahayuti alliance of which it is a part will reverse the trend of the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra -- the alliance won only 17 of the 48 seats with the rival INDIA bloc winning 30. He added that this will be on account of the work done by the Narendra Modi-led Union government and the Mahayuti state government, and because the BJP has managed to address the perception problem that dogged it during the Lok Sabha polls. Follow HTLS 2024 LIVE updates here.
Gadkari, speaking in an online session of the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, acknowledged that during the national elections this summer, the Opposition succeeded in spreading the perception that the BJP was aiming to change the Constitution and take away the benefits of reservation to the backward and scheduled classes, but that now, the people of Maharashtra know it is not out to do so.
The caste census is not the way to create an equitable society, he said.
“My personal view is no one can become great based on their caste, religion, language and sex but with their qualities. Untouchability and casteism in society must be ended and socioeconomic equality must be established,” he said. But “backwardness has become a political interest, everyone wants to prove that he is backward”, he added at a session by HT’s national political editor Sunetra Choudhury.
The Union government has been non-committal on the inclusion of caste in the upcoming census. The Opposition has been pushing for this, but Union home minister Amit Shah has said that a decision on this will require more consultation and has not yet been taken. In Maharashtra, the dominant Marathas, comprising roughly 20% of the electorate have been demanding other backward classes (OBC) status.
Gadkari said that the BJP and its allies are on course to win the polls. “Our strength has increased in Maharashtra. Three forces (the BJP, Nationalist Congress Party under Ajit Pawar, and the Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde) have joined and the vote bank has increased. The Maharashtra government has done a good job, the Ladki Bahin Yojana has had a good impact. Therefore, I am sure there will be a definite victory for the Mahayuti and our government will be formed.”
The Union minister also launched a strong attack on Maratha leader and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) founder Sharad Pawar for his allegation that the ruling Mahayuti has broken up families in the state. Pawar’s reference is to the BJP aligning with Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, to split the NCP in 2022. “I respect [Sharad] Pawar but if there’s anyone who attempted to break the political parties in Maharashtra that is Pawar. He broke the Congress, Shiv Sena and other parties. The void of ideology is indeed more significant than the variation of ideas, which is unfortunate,” he said, adding that he has kept himself away from this kind of politics. “In political and public life, principled behaviour and politics are important. Whether there is a victory or a defeat, I will keep on working in politics with the same conviction. I won’t leave my philosophy,” he said.
What the splits have meant, however, is an increase in competition -- and rebel candidates.
Gadkari admitted that rebels have become commonplace in today’s politics. “Neither rightist nor leftist, we are known opportunists – this has become the story of today’s politics,” he said.
INFRA PUSH
The Narendra Modi government’s term has been marked by an emphasis on capital spending, mostly on large infrastructure projects. Highways are a key part of this.
Gadkari said better roads and easy connectivity have also resulted in a reduction in pollution and saved fuel.
“When it took nine hours to reach Dehradun from Delhi burning fossil fuel (petrol and diesel), how much pollution was it creating?” he asked.
India imports ₹22 lakh crore worth of fossil fuel which causes pollution, the minister said. “What are these people, who are questioning the highway projects, doing about that?” the minister asked
Highway construction is being made environment friendly, Gadkari said.
“We reduced the height of Delhi’s Ghazipur landfill and used the debris in the Delhi-Mumbai highway, urban extension road (UER) II, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. We used 80 lakh tonne of garbage,” he added.
His ministry is not against the environment, he said.
Development and environment both should go hand in hand; society has three pillars – ethics, economy, and ecology and environment, Gadkari added. “We have increased the domestic happy human index by protecting the ecology and environment and also by reducing air, water and land pollution. We need to think in an integrated approach where our country progresses as a pollution-free society, where everybody has development and employment and with better ecology and environment.”
The minister also targeted the small group that spreads the narrative that large projects are bad for the environment. “It would be better if they came forward in helping to protect the environment through this initiative. I think, trying to stop ongoing projects will not do good to the country’s development.”
There are huge spillover effects from good infrastructure, Gadkari explained.
“Per capita income improves and poverty reduces, and the country prospers. Therefore, better infrastructure is important for generating income and reducing poverty as well as for the country’s development and progress,” he said.
“When we build roads, it brings industries and townships. My ministry has taken two initiatives to work towards the development of the country. We are making 36 green express highways which will shorten the by-road distance between Delhi and Dehradun to two hours, which will begin from January. Jaipur can be reached within two hours (from Delhi), Chandigarh in 2.5 hours; Bengaluru to Chennai in two hours, Bengaluru to Mysore in one hour; Delhi to Mumbai in 12 hours; Delhi to Amritsar in four hours, to Katra in six hours and Delhi to Srinagar in eight hours,” the minister added.
The second initiative is prioritising biofuel and alternative fuel in place of petrol and diesel, the minister said.
“Therefore, we have encouraged ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, bio-LNG, bio-CNG, electric and hydrogen. Through these initiatives, we will definitely bring down the current logistic cost from 14-16% -- China has an 8% cost and Europe and America have 12% -- to a single-digit value. We can become more competitive in the export market. Our exports will increase by 1.5 times and I believe these two initiatives will be helpful in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aspiration to make India a $5 trillion economy, as well as the world’s third-largest economy.”