OPPOSITION UNITING BECAUSE BJP IS TOO STRONG TO BE DEFEATED

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - NITIN GADKARI MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

- PRATUL SHARMA

There was a lot of scepticism when you made big promises after becoming minister nine years ago. But changes are visible now. How do you see your journey as road transport minister?

A Credibility is the biggest strength in politics. I don’t know if my habit is an asset or a liability, but I always tell people that yes is yes, and no means no. I never give false promises.

Q What has been your approach to address the country’s infrastructure needs?

A We are the fastest growing economy in the world. Our economic approach is the most important key to success for all of us under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee before him.

Just look at history: After 1947, there were three [types of ] economic thinking: socialism, communism and capitalism. But today, after 75 years, we feel that there is no answer for our situation in all these ideologies. It is for the first time that India is seeing the BJP ideology— nationalism, good governance and development, and antyodaya (social welfare of the downtrodden). Our conviction is the social-economic thinking of Deendayal Upadhyaya. And for that reason, we need to develop industry, trade and business. But without good infrastructure, we cannot develop trade and business.

Developing water, power, transport and communication infrastructure will increase productivity in trade and development. Through this, we will get capital investment from domestic and foreign industry. On the basis of that, we will create job opportunities and eradicate poverty. People who are wealth creators are also employment creators. We need to support entrepreneurs and new technology.

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