Will thrash those who talk about caste, warns Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

PUNE: Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, who has earned praise for his commendable job as Union Transport Minister from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has warned that he will thrash those who talk about caste.

"We don’t believe in caste. I don’t know how many castes are there at your place but at our place, there is no caste because I have told everyone that I will thrash those who will talk about caste," Gadkari said on Sunday evening.

The Union Minister made these remarks while addressing a gathering at a programme in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune.

During his address, Gadkari opined that society should be free from casteism and communalism, and rather should be based on unity.

"We have to make a society which is free of caste and communalism. In the society there should be no discrimination among poor and rich, no one should be of upper or lower caste," Gadkari was quoted as saying.

He also said that poor and downtrodden are like God and they should be served. 

"We should provide the poor and humble with food, cloth and house. Serving the poor is like serving God," he said.

Just a few days back, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi led the Congress party MPs in Lok Sabha in appreciating Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for the "wonderful" work he has been doing in improving the country's infrastructure.

During the Question Hour on Thursday, the House took up two questions related to Gadkari's ministry in which he gave a detailed description of the works being executed and works being undertaken for expanding the country's network.

As Gadkari completed the answers amidst thumping of desks by ruling BJP members, saffron party member from Madhya Pradesh Ganesh Singh stood up and told Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that the House should appreciate the "wonderful" works being carried out by the Union Road Transport Minister.

At this, Sonia Gandhi, who all through was patiently listening to Gadkari and often seen nodding in response to his replies, smiled and started thumping the desk as a sign of appreciation.

Seeing this, Congress MPs, including party leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, too started thumping the desks appreciating Gadkari's work.

There were reports in August last year that Sonia Gandhi had written to Gadkari thanking him for his "positive response" to road issues she had raised relating to her constituency Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh.

Sonia Gandhi's son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi too recently had complimented Gadkari for his remarks that "one who cannot take care of home, cannot manage the country", saying he has guts and should also comment on the Rafale deal, "farmers distress and destruction of institutions".

"Gadkari Ji, compliments. You are the only one in the BJP with some guts. Please also comment on: The Rafale scam and Anil Ambani, farmers' distress and destruction of institutions," he tweeted and tagged with it the report on Gadkari's comments.

The Union minister had made the remarks last week while addressing former workers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the BJP's student wing, in Nagpur.

(With Agency inputs)