Nitin Gadkari offered Prime Minister’s post

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has received an offer from the opposition to support him as Prime Minister.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has revealed that an opposition leader had offered to support him for the post of Prime Minister. However, Gadkari declined the offer, citing his dedication to his principles and organisation rather than pursuing personal political ambitions.

At an event in Nagpur, Gadkari revealed, “An opposition leader approached me and said, ‘If you aspire to become prime minister, we will support you.’ But I wondered why they were supporting me and why I should seek their support.” He further clarified, “Becoming prime minister was never my aim. I stand by my beliefs and my organisation. For me, compromising for any position is out of the question.”

Gadkari made the comments at an award ceremony where eminent journalists Vivek Deshpande (formerly of The Indian Express), Ramu Bhagwat (retired from The Times of India), Shrimant Mane (Editor, Lokmat Vidarbha) and Ram Bhakre (Loksatta) were honoured with the Anilkumar Award for Excellence in Journalism 2023-24. The event was organised by the Vidarbha Gaurav Pratishthan and the Nagpur Union of Working Journalists (NUWJ), in memory of pre-Independence journalist, poet and writer Anilkumar.

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Gadkari’s call for integrity in journalism and politics

In his speech, Gadkari stressed the importance of ethics in journalism and politics. He recounted an interaction with a senior member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), where he expressed admiration for late AB Bardhan, a veteran CPI leader and long-time opponent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Gadkari said, “The CPI chief was surprised when I told him how much I respected AB Bardhan despite our ideological differences. An honest opposition deserves respect because it is sincere. On the contrary, an opposition based on dishonesty does not deserve respect.”

He also lamented the decline in the number of people like Bardhan who stick to their beliefs in politics and journalism. Gadkari said democracy can flourish only if the judiciary, executive, legislature and media function with integrity and adhere to ethical standards.