India Today Conclave 2018: 50 lakh jobs created in my ministry alone; confident on winning 2019 LS elections, says Gadkari
Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari says the present government had carried out major economic reforms in the country. He says the BJP won in Northeast. It will perform well in Kerala and Bengal.
- Mar 10, 2018,
- Updated Feb 11, 2019 2:45 PM IST
Senior BJP leader and Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, on Saturday took on critics and the Opposition over job creation, saying the present government had carried out major economic reforms in the country. He claimed around 50 lakh direct and indirect jobs have been created in his ministry (transport) alone. He was speaking on the Day 2 of the India Today Conclave 2018.
On the issue of recent scams involving diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in several public sector banks, including the Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank fraud, the minister said the BJP had no connection with Nirav Modi. The UPA was in power when the entire scam happened, he said.
However, he emphasised that businesses can sometimes face troubles. "The NDA government has managed to save banks from Rs 3 lakh crore worth of NPAs."
Former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government, alleging the idea of India was under attack. She said the BJP's 'Achhe Din' will turn into 'India Shinning' in the 2019 General Elections. She also said that the "fear and intimidation are the order of the day, and alternative voices are being silenced."
Gadkari said the Congress party is "facing defeat everywhere. How can they claim they will the Lok Sabha elections in 2019?" "We won in Northeast. We will perform well in Kerala and Bengal," Gadkari said, referring to the BJP's historic election win in Tripura.
On asking about the TDP ministers quitting the government, and Shiv Sena's constant indirect attacks on the Modi government, Gadkari said: "Politics is a game of contradiction or compulsion and compromises. Everything can happen in cricket and politics. I trust allies, and we will win the General Elections."
He said the BJP was never a one-man show like the "mother-son party". "It's a democratic party. It's not a party of Modi, Advani, or Vajpayee. It's a party of lakhs of members who work round-the-clock for its victory."
Giving an example of how he used to work at booth-level as a simple 'karyakarta', and was picked up by the party for the BJP chief's post, Gadkari said the saffron party works under a system that respects every opinion and individual.
On the Ganges cleaning project, Gadkari said his government has carried out several projects for its cleaning. "Around 70 per cent of pollution comes in the Ganges comes from cities, and around 4,500 villages live along the river. It's my responsibility to clean it."
A day after famous town planner Carlo Ratti suggested that India should opt for self-driving cars for its smart cities, Gadkari said he had reservations regarding driver-less cars in India. "We have a shortage of 22 lakh drivers in the country. We have begun a driving training institute where we will train drivers who will get jobs."
Senior BJP leader and Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, on Saturday took on critics and the Opposition over job creation, saying the present government had carried out major economic reforms in the country. He claimed around 50 lakh direct and indirect jobs have been created in his ministry (transport) alone. He was speaking on the Day 2 of the India Today Conclave 2018.
On the issue of recent scams involving diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in several public sector banks, including the Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank fraud, the minister said the BJP had no connection with Nirav Modi. The UPA was in power when the entire scam happened, he said.
However, he emphasised that businesses can sometimes face troubles. "The NDA government has managed to save banks from Rs 3 lakh crore worth of NPAs."
Former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government, alleging the idea of India was under attack. She said the BJP's 'Achhe Din' will turn into 'India Shinning' in the 2019 General Elections. She also said that the "fear and intimidation are the order of the day, and alternative voices are being silenced."
Gadkari said the Congress party is "facing defeat everywhere. How can they claim they will the Lok Sabha elections in 2019?" "We won in Northeast. We will perform well in Kerala and Bengal," Gadkari said, referring to the BJP's historic election win in Tripura.
On asking about the TDP ministers quitting the government, and Shiv Sena's constant indirect attacks on the Modi government, Gadkari said: "Politics is a game of contradiction or compulsion and compromises. Everything can happen in cricket and politics. I trust allies, and we will win the General Elections."
He said the BJP was never a one-man show like the "mother-son party". "It's a democratic party. It's not a party of Modi, Advani, or Vajpayee. It's a party of lakhs of members who work round-the-clock for its victory."
Giving an example of how he used to work at booth-level as a simple 'karyakarta', and was picked up by the party for the BJP chief's post, Gadkari said the saffron party works under a system that respects every opinion and individual.
On the Ganges cleaning project, Gadkari said his government has carried out several projects for its cleaning. "Around 70 per cent of pollution comes in the Ganges comes from cities, and around 4,500 villages live along the river. It's my responsibility to clean it."
A day after famous town planner Carlo Ratti suggested that India should opt for self-driving cars for its smart cities, Gadkari said he had reservations regarding driver-less cars in India. "We have a shortage of 22 lakh drivers in the country. We have begun a driving training institute where we will train drivers who will get jobs."