Nitin Gadkari apologises to Jyotiraditya Scindia over ‘snub’

New Delhi: In an unique gesture, surface transport and shiping minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday apologised to Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Lok Sabha after the latter raised the matter of the Madhya Pradesh government dropping his name from a plaque and invitations meant for the inauguration of a highway in his constituency Guna.

Taking up the matter during Zero Hour, Mr Scindia said the state government did not invite him for the inauguration of the highway and the plaque carrying his name was changed. The Congress chief whip in the House said that as a local MP he should have been invited to such programmes and “I want to move a privilege motion” against the state chief minister. Quickly responding to this, Mr Gadkari said he was aware of the matter and it should not have happened. “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,” the Union minister added.

However, despite his apology, Mr Scindia stated that interest of MPs should be protected and action should be taken against people who are responsible for this mistake. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge too said that MPs should be not be treated like this. “This is not good.”

As Mr Scindia repeatedly raised the demand, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, “Should I use a baton to provide protection (sanrakshan lathh leke dun).” The Speaker said it was Gadkari’s greatness that he has tendered an apology on the matter.