‘MP’s name should have been there’, Gadkari apologises to Scindia in LS

NEW DELHI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday apologised to Congress leader and Guna Member of Paliament (MP) Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Lok Sabha after the lawmaker raised the issue of the Madhya Pradesh government dropping his name from a plaque and invitations to the inauguration ceremony of a highway in his constituency.

Scindia raised the matter during Zero Hour in the Lower House. On Wednesday, he sought a privilege motion against Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the matter.

Referring to the government protocol, Scindia said local MPs should be invited to such programmes. “I want to move a privilege motion,” he said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Responding to the Congress MP, the roads and highways minister, Gadkari said, “As I was present there, I should be responsible for this. The MP’s name should have been there. I apologise on behalf of everybody and next time it will not happen,” Gadkari said.

Scindia said the interests of MPs should be protected and action should be taken against people who are responsible.

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the issue should not be politicised as a senior minister had already apologised. BJP MPs were not invited to such events during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime, Tomar added.