Constitution Does Not Include Provision for Special Status: Nitin Gadkari

He also said that the Centre has a job to do and granting special status to one state would set off a chain reaction and result in more such demands.

New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said that the demand for special category status for any state is constitutionally untenable.

He also said that the Centre has a job to do and granting it to one state would set off a chain reaction and result in more such demands.
The comment assumes significance as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is planning to hold a convention in Delhi demanding special status for Bihar.

Earlier, the TDP pulled out of NDA alliance over the special category status demand.

The Constitution does not include any provision for categorisation of any State in India as a Special Category Status (SCS) State. But, recognising that some regions in the country were historically disadvantaged in contrast to others, Central plan assistance to SCS States has been granted in the past by the erstwhile Planning Commission body, National Development Council (NDC).

The NDC granted this status based on a number of features of the States which included: hilly and difficult terrain, low population density or the presence of sizeable tribal population, strategic location along international borders, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of State finances.

Here are the edited excerpts from Nitin Gadkari interview to CNN-News18's 

Q: Sir, your allies are also upset with you. Nitish Kumar has raised the special status demand, TDP has walked away from NDA, Shiv Sena is also upset. Aren’t you a little worried? 
Gadkari: The Indian Government, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has taken care of every part of India. Irrigation, road sector, IT sector, but special status is not in the Constitution. If we grant it to one state, every state will ask for it then.

Q: But BJP supported it when Nitish Kumar made this demand. Your government was there in Bihar and it still is there.
Gadkari: We were in the opposition party that time, right now we’re in ruling party.

Q: So it was just a statement?
Gadkari: I will ask you one thing. Is giving special status possible? And if it’s asked by all the states and given to them, can we run the state then? Should we all make Centre stronger or weaker? The question is not about Congress BJP or any other party. The question is about the country and we need to take care of the federal government’s job.

Q: Talking about your allies, is there any big brotherly approach? 
Gadkari: I feel that when we work for a long time in politics, small kind of disputes tend to happen. We are different parties. If our thoughts and work were same we would have been one party. And I feel till 2019 elections, forgetting all these talks we all shall fight together.
and we will also win.

Q: Sir, you were cautious during you criticism of HD Deve Gowda, but despite that the JD(S) went on to form the government with the Congress. Let’s not forget that Rahul Gandhi called JD(S) the B team of BJP. Even after putting in efforts, JD(S) did not form the government with you?
Gadkari: Why don’t you ask this question to Rahul Gandhi? After calling JD(S) the B team of BJP, Congress had an alliance with that B team. What kind of indication is this? This kind or irresponsible and meaningless talks have just made Rahul Gandhi spoil his own image. It is playing with Congress party's trust. All these things and immature politics are bad for Congress only.

I feel if they were our B team, would they have an alliance with them? Now, they have an alliance but the portfolio distribution has not happened so far. The government won’t be able to stay. It is only the politics of convenience; it neither Rightist or Leftist. We are not opportunists. Such alliances don’t stay for a long run.

Q: You showed desperation once. As a member of BJP Parliamentary board, do you think your strategy in Karnataka went horribly wrong?
Gadkari: The Congress and JD(S) had stated clearly that they didn’t want an alliance with each other. They had fillers saying if anything like this happens, they will leave it.

Q: Sir, fillers. Which fillers?
Gadkari: In politics, everyone plays to win; to get the position. This is a naked truth. When we realised that now it is impossible, Yeddyurappa resigned. So what is wrong in that. We were called as the big party.

Q: You are saying that this government will not work, are you saying that BJP will try again?
Gadkari: There is no need for us to try. They both have our good wishes, but the only discussion on TV is which ministry will be taken by whom. After seeing this, do you feel that this government will stay?

from Top Politics News- News18.com https://ift.tt/2L7QoiO