Nitin Gadkari was offered support for PM’s post, but he refused, ‘I am loyal to my conviction, won’t compromise…’

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday that an opposition leader once offered to back him if he wanted to run for the Prime Minister's position. However, he refused it, explaining that he had no desire to pursue that ambition.

"I remember one incident -- I would not name anyone -- that person said `if you are going to become prime minister, we will support you," Gadkari said, “But, I asked why you should support me, and why should I take your support.”

"To become the prime minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and my organisation, and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is foremost for me," he goes on to add.

Gadkari was speaking at an event where our senior journalists were conferred the Anilkumar Award for Excellence in Journalism 2023-24 at a function in Nagpur. The journalists are Vivek Deshpande (formerly with Indian Express), Ramu Bhagwat (who retired from Times of India), Shrimant Mane (Editor, Lokmat Vidarbha) and Ram Bhakre (Loksatta).

The award, instituted in the memory of pre-Independence era journalist, poet and writer Anilkumar, is jointly given by the Vidarbha Gaurav Pratishthan and Nagpur Union of Working Journalists (NUWJ)

‘One should respect a person who opposes with honesty,’ Nitin Gadkari

In his speech, Gadkari emphasized the need for ethics in journalism and politics. He shared a story about a conversation with a senior member of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Recalling a meeting with a senior CPI functionary, Gadkari told him how much he respected late A B Bardhan, and he was among the tallest politicians from Nagpur and Vidarbha. The CPI leader expressed surprise saying that Bardhan was an opponent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). To this, Gadkari responded saying honest opposition should be respected.

"I said one should respect a person who opposes with honesty, because there is honesty in his opposition....one who opposes with dishonesty deserves no respect," said Gadkari.

Comrade Bardhan was faithful to his ideology, and politics as well as journalism now lack such people, he said. Democracy will be successful only when all four pillars -- judiciary, executive, legislature and media -- follow ethics, the BJP leader further said.

(With inputs from agencies)