Confident that rate of unemployment will be about 3-4% in 2 years: Gadkari

Edited excerpts of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s interview to Karan Thapar on Tiranga TV

Article 370 is the bridge that links Kashmir to India, and you could break it if you are not sensitive and sensible about this. 

Our party has been committed to abrogating Article 370 for long. But bec­ause of the sensitive situation there, we aren’t doing it. We were in power with full majority this time, still we are not going to implement it. However, as far as the party’s philosophy, policy and app­roach to it is concerned, we are firm on it. 

You have said a very important thing. It is part of the party’s philosophy, but you may not implement it. 

Because of the sensitive situation, it is not appropriate to implement that. But as far as the party is concerned, for the past many days, it is there. 

Can you accept rural distress is a problem your government has not handled adequately? 

Rural distress is a problem, I admit. But it has not been created by the BJP government. In the last 72 years, wrong economic policies, bad and corrupt governance, and visionless leadership of the Congress is responsible for it. 

So as far as jobs and unemployment are concerned, this is not acche din, this is bure din. 

My feeling is, your mindset is totally negative about this government. You are talking just like Opposition leaders, you are making allegations against the government. I am giving you an example. In my own department, we have order giving contracts of Rs 17 trillion. 

For jobs?

No, no. In road contracts — Rs 11 trillion in road construction, Rs 5 trillion in port, shipping and Rs 1 trillion in water resources and Ganga rejuvenation. When Rs 10,000 crore is spent, it creates direct and indirect jobs for 100,000 people. Now, there are problems too. The steel industry was facing problems for eight months because Chinese steel came at a very low price. Now, when we increased the duty on Chinese steel, the steel industry is doing good. The problem is that in some of the sectors, particularly banking, we are facing problems. 

Unemployment is not a problem created by the BJP in the last five years. It is a problem since 1947. 

You are saying to me that the 7.5 per cent unemployment rate that CMIE has established for April… 

Within 2 years, I am confident that this rate will be at 3-4 per cent because of our economic policies. It will take some time, it is not just like you prepare and take it, you do make long-term policy. 

When people turn around and say that Modi’s government has not handled institutions fairly, objectively and properly, how do you respond to them? 

This is a totally false allegation against our government. We respect judiciary, we respect the Election Commission. 

Then why did the Chief Justice cry in public? 

No. Actually, there are some communication problems. Still, in a democracy, it is important for all of us to have a good dialogue with the judiciary also. We have got a good coordination, communication and cooperation between the judiciary and presently we don’t have any problem.

You attempted to dismiss the Uttarakhand and Arunachal governments and the Supreme Court struck it down. 

Under the Congress governments too, such decisions were taken many times and were struck down by the Supreme Court. 

You made the same mistakes like the Congress, and you got rapped on the knuckles the way Congress did. 

Actually, in politics everything is fair, you know that. The way politics moves, some people are bound to leave the party… 

You are a remarkably honest man, Mr Gadkari, and one of the problems I face in putting difficult issues to you is that you have a clever way of admitting your mistakes, you are admitting…

Politics is a game of compulsions, limitation and contradictions. 

On Rafale, my question was if you are getting the plane cheap, as you claim you are, why only buy 36? Buy all 126, you need 126, why not buy them in one go?

It is depending upon the finance sale availability. 

You mean the French wouldn’t sell more?

No, no. financial availability with the government of India. How can you advise me that you can take 100 planes? At least we need that much money to spend them, so it is depending upon the government’s financial position to purchase 36. 

You have given a clear answer. No one in the government has given this honest answer before. The government didn’t have financial means to buy more than 36. 

Anything, anywhere you purchase, you take first phase, second phase, third phase and then you increase. Suppose, after 36 planes, if there is an availability of new technology, new plane with a cheaper price then we are free to purchase that, why we should purchase from Rafale?

What about the Muslims who are beaten up because they are suspected of being cattle traders?

First of all, we oppose the incidents of people taking law into their hands. What proof have you got that these people belong to BJP and RSS? You are making a false story, creating false image of the government. These incidents have been happening for many years. 

A section of the media wants to create an impression. They are against the RSS, BJP and Hindutva, they have been for many years, they have an agenda. 

Nitin Gadkari opposes them, I don’t deny it. In interviews to me in the past you have opposed it. 

Yes. I am the ex-president of the BJP, a responsible man. 

But what about the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister doesn’t say anything. 

Prime Minister has also issued statements in his speech against all these incidents. I know that. Even gau rakshaks have criticised his remarks. 

Modi is not campaigning on his five-year track record in office, or issues that matter to people like education, health, employment, rural distress. Instead, he is campaigning by creating fear, fear of terror, fear of Pakistan, fear of India’s vulnerability, is this the right campaign for the world’s largest democracy?

My feeling is our campaign is for the development of this country. The politics of 21st century is progress and development, we are changing infrastructure, we have now power surplus, we are increasing irrigation capacity, we are improving agriculture, we have more foreign investment in different fields, we are increasing tourism, we are increasing aviation sector, and it is the fact that we are the fastest growing economy in the world

Modi has begun picking on Rajiv Gandhi… 

It’s a political debate which is going on. Rahul Gandhi calls the PM a chor, this is a game of action and reaction. What I feel is this is the time for Indian democracy to think positively, and it is time for political parties to increase the standard of political campaign. I am expecting it from the Congress. 

You are very reassuring, you are saying Indian politics should rise above tu tu main main, we need to raise issues that matter, and you say you have given this advice to PM, and to Rahul Gandhi. 

It is time for Indian political parties and the political leadership to have a debate on the basis of policies, economic policies, reforms, decisions, foreign policies, defence policy. This is the time that by all stakeholders, this quality of politics should increase. My feeling is, we should all cooperate to increase this quality of politics, that is the need of the country.