Gadkari Defends 'Batenge Toh Katenge' Slogan; Slams Congress Over Constitution Claims, Bitcoin Fraud Allegatio

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari defended the controversial 'batenge toh katenge' slogan, voiced by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections.

While speaking to NDTV, he asserted that the slogan "signifies unity and not division" and reflects the BJP's "resolve to rise above sect, religion, or language."

He further said, "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."

Gadkari also took aim at the Congress, accusing them of spreading "a false narrative" in the lead-up to the April-June federal elections, where they claimed that the BJP would look to rewrite the Constitution if it won more than 400 Lok Sabha seats. He responded to this by pointing out the Congress' own history of altering the Constitution, citing the Emergency period under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The 'batenge toh katenge' slogan first gained attention in August when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, referring to tensions in Bangladesh, accused the opposition of prioritising Muslim votes over Hindu minorities' safety.

The slogan was swiftly condemned by opposition members and some within the BJP, leading to a modification of the slogan to 'ek ho to safe hain'.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also distanced himself from it, labelling it "inappropriate for the land of saints and followers of Shiva."

Gadkari addressed the criticism by stressing that the slogan's meaning had been misunderstood and defended it as a call for unity. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge responded by questioning whether voters would choose between Adityanath's "divisive" slogan and the Prime Minister's message of unity.

On the matter of the Congress' charge that the BJP aims to change the Constitution, Gadkari firmly rejected the claim, stating, "Let me clarify - we will not change the Constitution and not let anyone else do so."

He pointed out that it was the Congress, particularly during the Emergency, that had altered the Constitution, and that their "lies" had been impactful at the time, but people now understood the truth.

Addressing the allegations of Bitcoin fraud against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule, Gadkari dismissed them as irrelevant to the election, asserting that the election would be decided based on the governance and performance of the Shinde government.

The allegations, made by a retired police officer, claimed that Sule and Nana Patole, Congress' Maharashtra unit chief, were involved in a 2018 conspiracy to generate illegal funds for the elections. Sule has denied the claims and has filed complaints with the Election Commission and Cyber Cell in Pune.

Finally, Gadkari stated that the identity of Maharashtra's next Chief Minister would be decided by the BJP's top leadership after the election results are announced, adding, "It is not for me to decide."

Voting for the 288 seats in Maharashtra and 81 seats in Jharkhand takes place today, with results due on Saturday, alongside those of various by-elections across the country.