Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday mounted a sharp defence of his work in the farm and ethanol sectors, declaring that his efforts are guided by purpose, not profit.
“My brain is worth Rs 200 crore a month. I am not short of money, nor do I stoop low,” Gadkari said at an event organised by the Agricos Welfare Society in Nagpur. His remarks come amid criticism surrounding the ethanol policy.
The senior BJP leader stressed that his experiments and initiatives in agriculture are aimed at empowering farmers. “You think I am doing this for money? I know how to earn with honesty. I am not a wheeler-dealer,” he said, adding that while politicians often exploit divisions for electoral gains, backwardness itself had become a political tool.
Gadkari said he continues to feel deeply about farmer distress, especially in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. “Ten thousand farmer suicides in Vidarbha are a matter of shame. We will not stop till farmers become prosperous,” he asserted.
The Union minister also referred to his family, noting that while he is a politician and not a saint, he ensures his work reflects honesty and long-term vision. He spoke at length about his son’s ventures in agribusiness, clarifying that his role is limited to giving ideas.
According to Gadkari, his son has built a wide network of trade, importing 800 containers of apples from Iran and exporting 1,000 containers of bananas from India. “He has also taken 300 containers of fish from Goa to Serbia, set up a milk powder unit in Australia, and supplies 150 containers regularly to Abu Dhabi and other places,” Gadkari said.
He further revealed that his son runs 26 rice mills in collaboration with ITC. “I need five lakh tonnes of rice flour, so he runs the mills and I buy the flour,” Gadkari explained, citing it as an example of how business acumen can create opportunities in agriculture.
