File Photo: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
"I never said farmers should not depend on either god or government," Union minister Nitin Gadkari said in Lok Sabha today, rebutting Rahul Gandhi who had attributed the comment to him during his speech in the House on agrarian crisis.
"I want to make it clear that I never made such a statement," the Minister said as he rose to make a personal explanation on the issue.
In his speech on Monday, Mr Gandhi had said members of some NGO had informed him that Mr Gadkari had told farmers that they should not depend on god and government, as the Congress leader attacked the Modi government for ignoring the plight of farmers suffering from unseasonal rains and hailstorm.
Mr Gandhi had said he "admired" Mr Gadkari as he was "honest" and spoke from his heart.
Mr Gadkari said he had made a speech in Maharashtra saying that farmers continued to suffer but they should not be frustrated. "They should not only depend on god or government but work to improve farm production by using new methods," he quoted from his speech, refuting Mr Gandhi's claim.
Mr Gandhi claimed that he was praising him, to which Mr Gadkari retorted that had he made such a statement, he would not be scared in accepting it. But he never said so.