BJP leaders say Nitin Gadkari's words were not for any specific government
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, whose chronic plain-speaking appears to have cost him his spot in the BJP's top decision-making body, has fired a new zinger. The government is "not taking decisions in time" and that's a problem, Mr Gadkari said at an event on Sunday.
"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 the quality. And time is the most important thing in the construction. Time is the biggest capital. The biggest problem is the government is not taking decisions on time," said the Union Minister.
Time is "more important than technology or resources", he said, addressing NATCON 2022, organized by the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers, Mumbai.
There is a mismatch between Mr Gadkari's words and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments just days ago, highlighting his government's success in crossing big milestones in what he calls the "Amrit Kaal" - or golden era.
BJP leaders, however, say Mr Gadkari's words were not for any specific government but governments in general.
Last week, Mr Gadkari was dropped from the powerful BJP parliamentary board in a shake-up focused on upcoming polls, including the 2024 national election.
Mr Gadkari is a former BJP president, so his exit was even more surprising as former chiefs have always been on the panel. Moreover, Mr Gadkari is close to the party's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and frequently got away with digs at his own in the past.
At a recent event in Nagpur, Mr Gadkari was quoted as saying that today's politics was more about powerplay and that at times he thought of quitting politics.
Hours after his comments on decisions taking time, Mr Gadkari said in Nagpur that the BJP's rise to power could be credited to Mr Vajpayee, LK Advani and Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Mr Gadkari referred to Mr Vajpayee's speech at the BJP's 1980 conclave in Mumbai. "Atal ji had said - 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," Mr Gadkari said.
"I was there. Everybody who heard that speech believed that such a day will come. Atal ji, Advani ji, Deendayal Upadhyaya and many workers did such work that today we are in power under PM Modi's leadership in the country and in many states."