Nitin Gadkari is a three-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra's Nagpur (File).
The 'batenge toh katenge' slogan - a contentious slogan voiced by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections - "signifies unity and not division", Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told NDTV in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
Mr Gadkari told NDTV the slogan reflects the BJP's "resolve to rise above sect, religion, or language". " We are all Indians... united in the fight against terrorism. This (the slogan) is not a communal idea... nor is it targeted at the Muslim or any minority community," he said.
He also singled out the Congress for criticism, pointing out the opposition party had "spread a false narrative" ahead of the April-June federal election; the big message to voters then was that the BJP would look to rewrite the Constitution if it won over 400 Lok Sabha seats - the 'abki baar, 400 paar' bid.
In a free-ranging chat with NDTV Mr Gadkari also touched on allegations of bitcoin fraud against Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule.
Gadkari On 'Batenge Toh Katenge'
The slogan first made headlines in August, when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath referred to tension in Bangladesh (following the forced resignation of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) and accused the opposition of divisive politics, claiming it was more interested in not upsetting Muslim votes than worrying about attacks on Hindu minorities.
"You are seeing what is happening in Bangladesh. Those mistakes should not be repeated here... batenge toh katenge, ek rahenge toh nek rahenge," Yogi raged.
READ | "Batenge Toh Katenge": Yogi Adityanath Makes Strong Pitch For Unity
As the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections neared, the comment was swiftly slammed by the opposition and by some within the BJP too; Pankaja Munde and Ashok Chavan both distanced themselves from it, as too did Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Mr Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party faction is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance with the BJP, called it "inappropriate for the land of saints and followers of Shiva".
READ | 'Batenge Toh Katenge' Slogan Not In Good Taste: BJP's Ashok Chavan
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his Shiv Sena group also expressed reservations, worrying it would consolidate the minority vote, specifically the Muslim ballots, for the opposition.
Faced with criticism the slogan was tweaked as 'ek ho to safe hain', as Devendra Fadnavis, also the Deputy Chief Minister, suggested critics hadn't understood the meaning.
READ | "Batenge Toh Katenge" Divides Not Just Allies, But Some In BJP Too
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge responded by asking the voters to choose between Yogi Adityanath's "divisive" slogan and the Prime Minister's call for unity.
Gadkari On Congress' Constitution Charge
Mr Gadkari slammed the Congress' claim - that the BJP wants to change the Constitution - by pointing out his rivals were, in fact, already guilty of this.
"... if anyone has tampered with the Constitution... it is the Congress. During the Emergency, after the Allahabad High Court invalidated (former Prime Minister) Indira Gandhi's election (from the stronghold of Raebareli in UP), the Constitution was ruthlessly amended."
READ | Congress Amended Constitution 80 Times During Its Rule: Gadkari
"They also misled tribals by claiming their quotas would be scrapped. The lies had impact then but I believe people now understand the truth, and the BJP will secure a big win."
Mr Gadkari also attacked the Congress over "completely baseless propaganda".
"Let me clarify - we will not change the Constitution and not let anyone else do so. The Supreme Court, in the Kesavananda Bharati judgment, firmly established this..."
Gadkari On Bitcoin Fraud Claims
The Union Minister played down this issue, insisting voters in Maharashtra would decide the election on the basis of work done by the Shinde government.
"This election is based on governance and performance... what the previous government (led by Uddhav Thackeray) versus what we did. Such matters often come up but we should not give importance."
READ | "Rama Krishna Hari": Supriya Sule To Ajit Pawar Amid Bitcoin Row
The cryptocurrency allegations against Ms Sule refer to claims by a retired police officer that she and Nana Patole, the chief of the Congress' Maharashtra unit, were involved in a 2018 conspiracy to generate illegal funds that have been used in this election.
Ms Sule has trashed the allegations and challenged the BJP to a debate. The five-time MP has also filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the Cyber Cell in Pune.
Gadkari On Next Chief Minister
The identity of the next Maharashtra Chief Minister will be decided after the election results and by the top leadership of the BJP, Mr Gadkari said. It is not for me to decide..." he said.
Maharashtra votes today in a single phase and the results for all 288 seats will be announced on Saturday, as will those for the 81 seats in Jharkhand and various by-polls across the country.
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
