Politicians should not meddle in other fields, says Gadkari

MUMBAI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday advised fellow politicians not to interfere in “other fields”.

The senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was speaking at the valedictory function of an annual Marathi literary meet at Yavatmal, which has been embroiled in a controversy after an invitation to noted writer Nayantara Sahgal was withdrawn by the organisers.

Without making a direct reference to the row, Gadkari said, “Politicians should learn not to interfere in other fields. The people in universities, educational institutions, literature and poetry should be dealing with their (respective) areas.”

“When I say there should not be any interference, it does not mean there should not be any contact between the people from the field of literature and politicians,” he added.

“During Emergency, the speeches of (Marathi) writers

like Durga Bhagwat and P L Deshpande drew bigger crowds than political rallies. Both of them, however, returned to

literature after the election. They did not even seek political postings such as a Rajya Sabha membership,” the Union minister for road transport and highways noted.

While Bhagwat had criticised the Emergency openly, Deshpande had campaigned for the Janata Party after the Emergency was lifted and the polls were announced in 1977.