Union Minister Nitin Gadkari yesterday shared an anecdote about his experiences with forest department officials during a program in Nagpur. He recounted a time when he was part of the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government, led by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, with Governor Alexander in office. Gadkari reminisced about traveling through the villages of Melghat in an Ambassador car and encountering poor road conditions. Despite the dire situation, the Forest Department officials were obstructing road work.
In response, Gadkari told the Chief Minister he would handle the matter. He recalled telling the forest officials, “I was involved in the Naxalite movement when I was young, and I entered politics by mistake. But if I return to the movement, you will not be left without bullets; I will be with the authorities.”
He also addressed a journalist's question regarding the government's functioning, stating that “good people are not honored, and bad people are not punished” within the system. Gadkari emphasized that when someone is asked to face punishment, the approach taken is often counterproductive, and files can remain stagnant if someone chooses to hold them down.