India do not want land of China or Pakistan but peace Gadkari

    (Eds: Adding more quotes)
    Ahmedabad, Jun 14 (PTI) India is not interested in
land of Pakistan or China but wanted peace and amity, Union
minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday.
    Addressing virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally of Gujarat BJP
from Nagpur in Maharashtra, he said India believed in peace
and non-violence and do not want to be strong by becoming an
expansionist.
    "India never tried to grab land of its neighbours like
Bhutan and Bangladesh," he added.
    The Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME
also said that COVID-19 crisis will not last long, as a
vaccine is on its way soon.
    "India do not want land that rightfully belongs to
Pakistan or China. All India want is peace, amity, love, and
(want) to work together (with neighbouring countries),"
Gadkari said.
    His comments came at a time when India and China are
engaged in a stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in
eastern Ladakh.
    Talking about the completion of one year of the second
term of the Modi government, Gadkari said its biggest
achievement was to bring peace in the country by dealing with
matters of internal and external security.
    "...Whether it is about almost winning over the Maoist
problem or securing the country from Pakistan-sponsored
terrorism...There is China on the one side of our border and
Pakistan on the other side. We want peace, not violence," he
said.
    "The strong steps taken by our government against
terrorism and naxalism; giving importance to internal and
external security has made peace possible in the country,"
Gadkari said.
    During his speech, the Nagpur MP referred to famous
novel "Mrityunjaya" by Marathi novelist Shivaji Sawant, saying
peace and non-violence can be established by only those who
are strong and not weak.
    "We should not make India strong by becoming
expansionist. We want to make India strong for establishing
peace. We never tried to grab land of Bhutan. Our country
made Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the prime minister of Bangladesh
after winning the war (with Pakistan in 1971), and our
soldiers returned thereafter.
    "We did not take a single inch of land. We do not want
land either of Pakistan or China. All we want is peace, amity,
love, and wanted to work together," he said.
    Gadkari also said the coronavirus crisis will not last
long as scientists in India and abroad have been working to
develop a vaccine.
    "This crisis is not going to last long. Effort is on
in our country to develop a vaccine for coronavirus.
Scientists across the world are working in this direction.
    As per the information received by me, I can say with
confidence that very soon we will find vaccine. Once we
develop a vaccine, we won't have to fear the crisis, Gadkari
added.
    "The crisis is deep, not just for our country but for
the entire world. Our government under Modiji is standing with
the people. Let us leave aside negativity, and with self
confidence, we will deal with the crisis and defeat the
coronavirus," he said.
    Referring to Emergency, Gadkari further said India has
braved many crises, and so has the BJP since its formation.
    He said, "(From Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to
successive Congress governments) the Congress gave the slogan
of 'garibi hatao ', but the condition of the common man,
farmers and the poor did not improve".
    On the other hand, poverty of Congress party leaders,
workers, and flatterers ended, he said.
    Gadkari also referred to annulment of Article 370 and
the "sacrifice" made by Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad
Mukherjee.
    "We brought terrorism exported by Pakistan under
control by repulsing terrorists, but the Congress lacked
courage and did not give importance to the crisis," he said.
    Gadkari said the NDA government was guided by the
concept of "Antyodaya" of Deendayal Upadhyay.
    "We reached out to the poorest of the poor by opening
35 crore 'Jana Dhan' accounts. We provided LPG cylinders to 9
crore families, and constructed two crore houses under the
'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana', he said.
    He also listed promotion of bee-keeping, khadi
industry, e-rickshaws, cleaning of the Ganga river as major
achievements of the government in the last six years.
    "The Road Transport and Highways ministry is working
to develop Jammu and Kashmir by constructing roads, tunnels,
and encouraging local crafts for the economic development," he
added. PTI KA PD
NSK NSK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)