Nitin Gadkari won’t attend biz summit in protest

Kolkata: Union minister Nitin Gadkari will not attend the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in protest against the attack allegedly by the Trinamul Congress activists on the BJP’s young wing rally in the city on Friday. His boycott is bound to add a twist in the event. The Mamata Banerjee government had invited him to attend the event which will be held on January 16 and 17 in New Town.

The union minister minister for road, transport and highways, who also holds the portfolio of ministries of shipping and water resources and river fevelopment and Ganga rejuvenation, was scheduled to attend the BGBS as a representative of the Modi government.

According to sources, union minister of state for water resources Arjun Ram Meghwal who took part in a sit-in demonstration at the Gandhi Statue to protest the attack, called up the BJP’s central leadership and informed the incident. BJP national president Amit Shah later called up state BJP president Dilip Ghosh. He wanted to know from him in details while seeking a report.

In the afternoon Mr Ghosh said, “We informed the our party’s central leadership about the violent attack on our rally. There is no rule of law in the state. There is no democracy also here. Judging the situation the government has decided to not to send Mr Gadkari to attend the event. It is now confirmed he would not come.”

Reacting to Mr Gadkari’s boycott Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee who is also the education minister, claimed that a Union minister’s move in wake of a political incident was unfortunate.