Nitin Gadkari praises Savarkar’s nationalism, warns against fundamentalism

Union minister Nitin Gadkari. (PTI/File Photo)

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday praised V D Savarkar’s nationalism and warned that if fundamentalists continue to gain power, socialism, democracy, or secularism will not survive.

Speaking at an event organised by Savarkar Darshan Pratishthan for promotion of literature on Savarkar’s ideas, Gadkari said, “…If we do not respect the nationalism of Savarkar today, then we have seen the division of this country once… The way conversions have happened in the world and fundamentalists have got the reins of power… if that keeps happening then neither socialism, nor democracy, nor secularism will survive,” he said.

Quoting former RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras, he said, “Balasaheb Deoras had said once in his speech that whichever country has 51 per cent Muslims has no democracy, no socialism and no secularism. There are multiple examples of majority Muslim nations to prove this, from Pakistan to Turkey.” However, he noted that there were many “progressive” Muslims who needed to be supported. “They want education to spread. But such Muslims are in a minority. In Pakistan such people get killed. But there is also Bangladesh, which is very different. We must support progressive and liberal Muslims across the world,” Gadkari said.