Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday, while addressing a program organised by the Akhil Bhartiya Mahanubhav Parishad, urged people to live with honesty and dedication - and not by taking shortcuts. According to the minister, shortcuts may offer quick results, but "undermine" long-term credibility.
"There is a shortcut to achieve anything. A person reaches faster through shortcuts. If you want to cross the road by breaking the rules, then it may be that there is a red light and you cross it, but one meaning of shortcut is that it cuts you short. That is why we have been given values like honesty, credibility, dedication, and truth. The long-lasting success belongs to truth. As Lord Krishna wrote in the Bhagavad Gita - In the end, truth always wins," he said.
Mr Gadkari, in a banter, asserted that in his field of work, speaking truth is "prohibited".
"In the field where I work, speaking the truth with all my heart is prohibited. The one who can fool people the best can be the best leader," he said.
The Union Minister also praised the teachings of the Mahanubhav sect founder, Chakradhar Swami, saying they are an inspiration for all to follow in their lives.
"The teachings of the Mahanubhav sect founder Chakradhar Swami are an inspiration for all to follow in their lives. Change in a person is related to the values taught to him. Chakradhar Swami taught values of truth (satya), non-violence (ahimsa), peace (shanti), humanity (manavta), and equality (samanta). Satya is the basis of our life, and we should follow it," he said while asserting that one must spread positivity and not hurt anyone.
Mr Gadkari is known for his candid and often bold statements that spark discussions.
Earlier this month, he stressed the need for filing court cases against the government to ensure discipline in public administration. "There should be some people in society who file petitions against the government in court. This disciplines the politicians. (This is) because even ministers in the government cannot do the work that a court order can do. Popular politics comes in the way of politicians and ministers," he said.
Last year, the Minister raised concern about opportunistic politicians wanting to remain associated with the ruling party of the day and said such "deterioration in ideology" was not good for democracy. He also said some leaders stand firm in their ideology, but their number is gradually declining. "I always say this jokingly that no matter which party's government it is, one thing is sure that the one who does good work never gets respect and those who do bad work are never punished," he said, without taking names.
Mr Gadkari had once proposed a Rs 500 reward for those reporting illegally parked vehicles in an aim to improve traffic discipline. He had also suggested replacing vehicle horns with Indian musical instruments.
