PUNE: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday shared the dais with senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh during a book launch based on late Congress leader Ramkrishna More in Pune.
Nitin Gadkari, during his speech after the release of the book, spoke about Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Gyaneshwar Maharaj, and said, “I really want to thank and appreciate Digvijaya Singh for participating in the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur”.
Referring to Digvijaya Singh, Union Minister Gadkari said, “I am younger than you, still I can’t walk that much, but every year you go to Pandharpur and walk with Warkari. However, I am trying for it”, to which Digvijaya Singh said, “You just start and it will happen automatically”.
Nitin Gadkari further said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will take steps to set up green corridors to help Warkaris. He said, “We are making Palkhi Marg worth Rs 12,000 crore and I have asked engineers to grow grass between two tiles (by the side of the highway where they could walk) so that while walking they get relief from the heat of the road.”
Speaking about his relations with leaders from opposition parties, Nitin Gadkari said, “This is the rich culture of Maharashtra. Despite having different ideologies, we respect each other this is going on since Yashwant Rao Chavan’s time”.
Nitin Gadkari said that once Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav had asked him why and how he and Sharad Pawar were present in the felicitation programme of Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi for becoming the Maharashtra Chief Minister, to which Gadkari had replied, “Maharashtra had a great tradition. We have political differences, but we are not enemies. When I was in the Maharashtra Assembly, many Opposition party leaders were my friends. After coming out of the Assembly and leaving politics aside, I have good relationships with many leaders”. (ANI)