‘Nothing to do with politics’: Nitin Gadkari office clarifies ‘next generation’ remarks

The office of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has clarified that his recent remarks about the "next generation must be given a chance" were not politically motivated. The 69-year-old minister made the comments at an event in Nagpur on Sunday, stating that he had been "continuously working for the last 30 years" but could not "work much more now".

Gadkari, who is known for his role in the ethanol-blended fuel push, said that work should be handed over to the new generation, with the older generation guiding them. His office emphasized that his remarks were specifically about the Laxmanrao Mankar Trust, which runs Ekal Vidyalayas in tribal areas, and had nothing to do with politics.

The minister's comments come amid speculation about a possible reshuffle in the Union Cabinet, following changes in the BJP's national office-bearer team. The BJP's pivot towards Gen Z voters, triggered by protests over public examination corruption and the state of state-run schools, has also fueled speculation.

Gadkari has faced criticism from citizens and activists over the ethanol-petrol blend controversy, with the Bombay High Court allowing civil suits against Meta, X, and Google for allegedly defamatory AI-generated content linked to the issue.