'Meant To Create Misunderstanding': Gadkari Clarifies On 'India Is Rich Nation With Poor People' Remark

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said even as India has emerged as the world's fifth largest economy and although the country is rich, its population is poor.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday his remark "India is a rich country with poor people", which was being seen as another salvo against the Centre, was taken out of context to create misunderstanding. Gadkari said his statement was about the problems concerning our society and the nation but some "unscrupulous elements and opposition" were deriving joy out of it.

In a string of tweets, Gadkari said, "My speech today, during a programme at Nagpur, that 'we are a rich nation with poor people' and the reference to the problems and issues before us, should have been considered positively in the context of process of development rather than clipping out a part of it to create misunderstanding."

"I am pained to know and see that my statement...has been flashed out of context and some unscrupulous elements and opposition are deriving joy out of it," he further said.

Posting a video of his full speech that was made at an event organised by Bharat Vikas Parishad, a RSS-inspired organisation, Gadkari said it "echoes the same sentiment that we have to overcome these social problems in order to progress at a faster pace and there is nothing wrong in it".

"I appeal to all the fellow citizens of our country to understand the real intention behind those references and whenever we talk about development, we should consider the social ills that are obstacles in the process to achieve the goals," the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways said.

At the event in Nagpur, Gadkari said while India had emerged as the world's fifth largest economy and although the country was rich, its population was poor and face issues like starvation, unemployment, casteism, untouchability and inflation.

"The gap between the rich and the poor has widened in the country, which needs to be bridged," Gadkari further said.

The remarks were seen by political pundits as another blunt statement against the Centre after Gadkari recently lost his spot in the BJP parliamentary board, the party's top decision-making body.

In August, Gadkari's remarks that "government is not taking decisions in time" had garnered attention. 

Later, in a series of tweets, Gadkari alleged that a "nefarious and fabricated campaign" was being run against him for "political mileage" by a section of the media, who, he said, were "concocting" his statements. The minister had also warned of legal action "in the interest of the government, party and millions of party workers".