Nitin Gadkari kicks up row, says we are a government of ‘Ram Bhakts’

Faizabad : Already under an intense attack by the opposition over controversial statements by his party MPs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may now find himself in the middle of an unwanted controversy with Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announcing that it was a “government of Ram bhakts” at the Centre.

“This is a government of Ram bhakts…a government of those who gave the slogan of Jai Shree Ram,” Gadkari said at ‘Brahma Baba Ka Sthan’ in Faizabad on Tuesday. He was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of Faizabad-Sultanpur section of National Highway-96.

Responding to the concerns raised by Faizabad BJP MP Lallu Singh about the condition of “Ram Van Gaman Marg”, connecting Lord Rama’s birthplace Ayodhya with Allahabad district, Gadkari said the government at the Centre was of ‘Ram bhakts’ and hence the stretch will be upgraded to a national highway. He also promised that work on development of Ram Van Gaman Marg will begin within four months.

Contacted, Lallu Singh said he had requested Gadkari to develop three routes, including Ram Van Gaman Marg (Ayodhya to Allahabad), Ram Janki Marg (Ayodhya to Janakpur in Nepal) and Faizabad-Rae Bareli road, as national highways.

“All the people in the country are devotees of lord Ram. There should be no objection if somebody takes the name of a god. Objection could be raised when somebody insults any particular religion. Every leader and minister believes in a particular god personally,” Singh said.

At the event, Gadkari announced the construction of ‘Ram-Janki Marg’ at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore.

BJP national spokesperson Nalin S Kohli justified Gadkari’s statement. “Being a Ram Bhakt is not a crime. Why are allegations being levelled? Gadkariji has done a noble work at an auspicious land. Those who are not understanding the reference of the statement, I believe they are narrow-minded,” Kohli said.

Meanwhile, UP minister and SP leader Azam Khan took a swipe at Gadkari and said the government of disciples of Lord Ram should not “harass people” of other faiths”.

“We hold Lord Rama in a very high esteem. We honour him and we consider him as pure as the Hindu society considers him…We have no complaints about this (construction of road). But let the government of disciples of Lord Ram not harass people of other faiths,” PTI quoted him as saying.

Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the Union Minister was speaking the language of controversial BJP minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.