Nitin Gadkari Talks About Democracy, Transparency, and Turning Down PM Offer
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 21: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari emphasized that the true test of democracy is when a ruler tolerates and reflects on even the strongest opinions against him. He made these remarks during a book release event at MIT World Peace University in Pune on Friday.
Gadkari stated, “The biggest test of democracy is that the king tolerates the strongest opinion against him and introspects over it.” He encouraged literary figures, intellectuals, and poets to express their views openly and strongly.
He added, “What happens in politics these days has happened in other places as well, one has lost his own existence, difference of opinion in our country is not a problem, our problem is having no opinion. We are neither rightists nor leftists, we are opportunists.”
Earlier on Sunday, Gadkari attended the Engineers’ Day event at the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) and highlighted the need for transparency and a time-bound decision-making process. He pointed out the importance of understanding the spirit behind the law, saying, “There is a difference between letter and spirit. If a knowledgeable person does not understand the spirit behind the law, then what is the use?”
He also mentioned the inefficiencies in bureaucratic processes, stating, “Sometimes the situation is such that even if potholes on the roads are to be filled, the order of the boss is required. I do not want to say much about them right now, but other times, as soon as the money is in hand, the work begins, very quickly. We have ‘Newton’s father’ here, the more weight you put on the file, the faster it moves forward. There is a need for transparency and a time-bound decision-making process.”
Last week, Gadkari revealed that he turned down an offer to become the Prime Minister from a political leader. Speaking at the late Anil Kumar Patrakarita Puraskar Samaroh organized by Vidarbha Gaurav Pratishthan, he said, “I do not want to name anyone but a person said to me, if you are going to become a Prime Minister, we will support you. I said, why you should support me, and why I should take your support. To become a Prime Minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and organization and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is most important to me. I think that this conviction is the biggest strength of Indian democracy.”
Doubts Revealed
Nitin Gadkari -: Nitin Gadkari is an important leader in India. He works as a Union Minister, which means he helps make big decisions for the country.
Democracy -: Democracy is a way of running a country where people choose their leaders by voting. It means everyone has a say in how the country is run.
Transparency -: Transparency means being open and clear about what you are doing. It helps people trust that decisions are fair and honest.
PM Offer -: PM Offer means an offer to become the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the country. Nitin Gadkari said he was asked to be Prime Minister but he said no.
MIT World Peace University -: MIT World Peace University is a college in Pune, India. It focuses on teaching students about peace and how to make the world better.
COEP -: COEP stands for College of Engineering, Pune. It is a famous engineering college in India where students learn about building and designing things.
Engineers’ Day -: Engineers’ Day is a special day to celebrate engineers and their work. It is celebrated on September 15th in India to honor a famous engineer, M. Visvesvaraya.
Introspection -: Introspection means thinking deeply about your own thoughts and actions. It helps people understand themselves better.
Intellectuals -: Intellectuals are people who use their mind a lot to think, learn, and understand things. They often share their ideas to help others learn too.