New Delhi: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who along with several other BJP leaders prefixed the word 'chowkidar' (watchman) to his name on Twitter profile last Sunday, has said that it is people’s sentiments associated the campaign that will make it successful.
Gadkari made the change to his Twitter profile as part of BJP’s 'Mai Bhi Chowkidar' electoral campaign ahead of Lok Sabha polls. “Different kinds of campaigns happen during elections. There are emotions behind this one and definitely the emotion would succeed,” he said in an interview to CNN-News18.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the campaign on March 16, urging his supporters to take the 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' pledge. The move came just weeks after the Pulwama attack on CRPF convoy, followed by the IAF strikes in Balakot. But Gadkari says the campaign is not an effort to cash in on the atmosphere of grief in the country over the deaths of 40 CRPF soldiers.
“There is no reason to associate this with Pulwama incident. After the Prime Minister called himself a 'Chowkidar', 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' (watchman is a thief) was being said. A Prime Minister is not that of the BJP, but of country. The description of Prime Minister must be done in ethical language. So, I feel, the emotion around it that 'I am its saviour'.
Gadkari said nationalism is not an agenda for the BJP but the very soul of it. “When I was leading my party, there used to be a board outside our office. Even today its written there: 'Rashtravaad Ye Hamari Aatma Hai' (nationalism is our soul). For us, its country first, then party, then me. Nationalism is our soul. Good governance and development are our mission,” he said.
“The society's end person who is marginalized and suffering, Dalit who lacks shelter, clothing and food -- we consider them God and look after them. And our work would conclude the day that person will have food, clothing and shelter. This was Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay's thought and discipline,” he added.
The Congress has questioned why the government has not provided details of the casualties inflicted in the air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Pakistan. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s close confidant Sam Pitroda even said that airstrike was "not the right approach" and that it is "naive" to blame the whole nation (Pakistan) for an attack undertaken by eight people, referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Reacting to Pitroda, statement, Gadkari said: “It is not fair to debate on the intention of the sacrifices made by our armed forces. I whole-heartedly feel these issues must not be politicised. If we speak in the same language of Pakistan's TV and radio, this would in a way insult our brave forces. Neither do I want to respond to such discussions, nor do I have anything to say.”
“No one has the right to insult the forces. Neither do we want credit for it, nor do we want to debate about it. I urge the media that debates on such sensitive issues is not in national interest. It's better to avoid it,” he said.
When pointed out that the BJP itself has been politicising the issue, the union minister said, “That's why I prefer to keep quiet. I have expressed what I feel.”
He added, "We don't to make Pulwama an election issue. Sometimes they are derived from such questions and answers. So it's better to maintain silence on it. I have expressed my feelings. I don't have anything to say beyond this."
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