Gadkari lauds Indira, says she proved herself without quota
Nagpur, Jan 7: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has praised former Prime minister Indira Gandhi, saying she did not need reservation to prove her mettle and did better than male leaders in the Congress.
The senior BJP leader said he was not opposed to women's reservation, but was against politics based on caste and religion.
He made the remarks at the inauguration of an exhibition by women self-help groups (SHGs) here Sunday.
The BJP has been critical of Indira Gandhi over the imposition of Emergency in the country.
"Indira Gandhi proved her mettle in her party among other dedicated male leaders. Was it due to reservation," Gadkari said.
Women BJP leaders Union minister Sushma Swaraj, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did well in politics sand reservations, he said.
"I am not against women's reservation.Women should get reservation. I am not opposed to it," he said.
The minister said he was against caste and religion-based politics. A person excels on the basis of knowledge and not because of language, caste, religion or region, he said.
"One makes progress on the basis of knowledge. Do we ask about the religion of Saibaba, Gajanan Maharaj or Sant Tukdoji Maharaj? Have we ever asked about the caste of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar or Jyotiba Phule? I am against politics based on caste and religion," Gadkari said.
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West Asia conflict: Modi calls ministerial meeting to review energy situation
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting Sunday evening with senior ministers to review to take stock of petroleum, power, and fertiliser sectors in view of the evolving West Asia situation, sources have said.
The focus of the meeting is to ensure uninterrupted supply, stable logistics and efficient distribution across the country, and the government is taking proactive steps to this end, they said.
Continuous monitoring of global developments to protect consumer and industry interests is the key focus of the government, they said.
On March 12, Modi said that the war in West Asia has triggered a worldwide energy crisis, posing a critical test of national character that requires dealing with circumstances through peace, patience, and increased public awareness.
The prime minister emphasised that his government is working relentlessly to address disruptions that have emerged in international supply chains.
"Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain," Modi said.
The prime minister has spoken to many global leaders since the West Asia conflict started on February 28, with the US and Israel attacking Iran.
Iran has retaliated by attacking Israel and several of its Gulf neighbours.
Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which 20 per cent of the world's energy is transported. Since the conflict, very few ships have been allowed by Iran to cross it.
The blockade has resulted in severe disruptions in energy supply to many countries, including India.
Since the conflict, Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, France, Malaysia, Israel and Iran.
