Aam Aadmi Party : The established link of union surface transport minister and former BJP President, Mr Nitin Gadkari, with a Nagpur based e-rickshaw manufacturing company is a clear case of direct conflict of interest. The weak defence offered by Mr Gadkari conceals more facts than revealing the real situation.
The Aam Aadmi Party demands that Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi should atleast change Mr Gadkari’s portfolio following the latest revelations about his conflict of interest, which he is unable to deny. Though Mr Modi had promised clean administration in his election campaign and had attacked the Congress-led UPA regime for its nepotism, but within a month of coming into power, his government is heading in the same direction and appears to be devoid of political morality.
Mr Gadkari has not been able to deny any of the facts mentioned in the news story published by the Indian Express on Tuesday. He has not denied that Purti Green Technologies Pvt Ltd, is now owned by his brother-in-law. The former BJP President has also not disputed the fact that the company is part of the Purti Group, which was founded by him.
By today saying that Mr Gadkari “has no commercial interest whatsoever with the e-rickshaw manufacturing sector”, he has tried to mislead the country. Is it not a fact that Mr Gadkari had attended a function with Mr Sharad Pawar at Nagpur in January last year to showcase e-rickshaws manufactured by Purti Green Technologies ?
Can Mr Gadkari deny his link with the Deen Dayal Trust, which according to him was to bear a part of the manufacturing cost of these battery-run rickshaws? What is worse is that Mr Gadkari shrouded his business interest in the e-rickshaw business by trying to project the steps being taken by his ministry as welfare steps for operators and drivers.
It is shocking that Mr Gadkari has tried to mix his family business with his ministry’s official functioning, which is a clear act of impropriety. The Prime Minister should ensure that his council of ministers and particularly the senior ministers do not play with the sentiments of poor people.
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