Mumbai : Nitin Gadkari, union minister for shipping knocked Indian Navy for clogging development projects in Mumbai. Asking the whereabouts of Navy at Malabar hill, he questioned presence of the navy there. He told that he came to know that high court had stayed the proposal for a floating jetty at Malabar Hill, after the Navy’s objections. It had become a habit in the country of putting road blocks in the projects. Navy should concentrate on securing our borders, instead of knocking down developmental projects, he said.
Gadkari was laying foundation stone of the International Cruise Terminal at Ballard Pier, he further said, we are in the power, not Navy or defence ministry, you bring the proposal before me. The ON had set up a committee under my chairmanship for infrastructure clearance. I will get it cleared.
He burbled that Navy people contacted me to seek land for their housing project in south Mumbai. Why should I give land to them. I am not going to give them even an inch of land. The minister resentfully made the remarks in the presence of the Western Naval Command’s Chief Vice admiral Girish Luthra. He further said, we respect the Navy, but they should go to Pakistan and do patrolling. Congress criticised the comments of Nitin Gadkari.