Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
Nagpur, Nov 15: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has dismissed media reports suggesting that he is planning to retire from politics, describing them as "false news" and clarifying that his earlier remarks were taken out of context.
Addressing reporters on the sidelines of an announcement regarding the 17th Agrovision agricultural exhibition on Saturday, Gadkari said, "You will keep doing your work, and I will keep doing mine."
"As I have grown older, I say 'now call the young people'. But, you publish false news that Gadkari is going to retire," the Minister remarked.
The speculation began following Gadkari's address at an event organised by the Laxmanrao Mankar Trust at Katol in Nagpur district. The Trust runs Ekal Vidyalayas in tribal areas.
The 69-year-old Minister, who has spent three decades in public life, had said that he was no longer able to work as hard as he once did and that greater responsibilities should be entrusted to the younger generation.
His remarks were subsequently interpreted by several media organisations and social media users as an indication that he was considering retirement from active politics or stepping down from his Cabinet position ahead of a possible reshuffle.
Clarifying his statement in Nagpur, Gadkari said his reference to bringing in younger people was specifically related to ensuring continuity in the Trust's activities, which benefit nearly 40,000 tribal students and involve 1,600 teachers.
He emphasised that guiding and encouraging the younger generation was a continuous process. Recalling how previous generations had passed on responsibilities to them, he told journalists that the younger generation should also carry forward the work.
Reflecting on his three decades in public life and the changes in his health following the Covid-19 pandemic, Gadkari reiterated that he was "no longer able to work as much as he used to" and that opportunities should be given to younger people.
Earlier, the Union Minister's office had issued a clarification stating that his remarks had no connection with politics and were specifically related to the functioning and future leadership of the Laxmanrao Mankar Trust.
The Minister's office also said that some television channels had portrayed his statement as a political remark by taking it out of its actual context.