Nitin Gadkari warns of legal action against those who fabricate his comments for ‘political mileage’

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday warned that he will take legal action against a “section of mainstream media, social media and some persons”, who he alleged have repeatedly fabricated his statements.

In a series of tweet, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways alleged that his comments have often been concocted without “context or correct reference” in order to gain political mileage.

Gadkari made the statement after Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh tweeted a clip from the minister’s speech at a book launch event, suggesting there were rifts within the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In response, the minister posted the YouTube link of his full speech at a book launch event held earlier this week.

“I’m sharing the link of what I had actually said,” Gadkari wrote on Twitter on Thursday in a bid to clarify his stance on the matter. The Union minster also tagged Twitter handles of BJP President JP Nadda and the prime minister’s office.

At the book launch event on Tuesday, Gadkari had narrated an incident about a road project in a Maharashtra village. The minister had said that he told a local official that he would be fine even if he does not get his support on the project.

On Thursday, Singh tweeted a truncated clip of Gadkari narrating the incident. In the clip, Gadkari says: “If it’s possible for you to stand by me then do so, but if it’s fine even if you don’t...I don’t care even if I lose my post.”

In his tweet, Singh wrote: “Why did Nitin Gadkari say this? Something is seriously wrong within BJP.”

Last week, the BJP had dropped Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from its parliamentary board, the party’s highest organisational and decision-making body.

The parliamentary board of the BJP usually has the final word on important decisions like selection of chief ministers and presidents of state units of the outfit.