Nagpur:

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that nobody should take Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seriously, and asserted that the people of Maharashtra will repose trust in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the November 20 state assembly elections.

“The way Rahul Gandhi speaks, nobody takes him seriously…I think people should not take his remarks seriously,” Gadkari said in an interview with PTI.

On Gandhi’s allegations about PM Modi “suffering from memory loss like US President Joe Biden”, Gadkari said the Congress leader speaks irresponsibly.

Asked about the challenges faced by the Mahayuti alliance after a dismal show during the Lok Sabha elections, Gadkari said, that voters were confused (by the opposition) on a large scale during the Lok Sabha polls.

“A narrative was created that if we win 400-plus seats, we will amend the Constitution drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,” the senior BJP leader said.

“There is no question of changing the Constitution. We will neither do it nor allow others to do it,” Gadkari said.

“Now people have realized that the campaign by the opposition during Lok Sabha polls was based on lies and they have decided to support with positivity the Mahayuti in Maharashtra under PM Modi’s leadership,” Gadkari said.

On BJP talking of development politics, but its leader raising slogans like ‘batenge toh katenge’, Gadkari said, “We are contesting the elections on the plank of development. We are all one. Some go to temple, some to mosque, gurdwara and church. But we are all Bharatiya and the country is above everything else for us,” he said.

On Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar voicing his opposition to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ remark, indicating a growing rift within the Mahayuti, Gadkari said, “First of all, we are different parties and it is not necessary that we share the same opinion.” “Media also distorts what is said. This creates misconceptions. The call for unity was to unite against terrorism and Naxalism,” he said.

Asked about Rahul Gandhi raising the issue of caste census, Gadkari said, “The real issue is about the welfare of villages, the poor and farmers. The poor have no caste and religion. A Muslim gets petrol at the same rate as others.

Asked if would like to become the BJP president, Gadkari said, “I have been the BJP president earlier and don’t have any desire for that post now.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)