AAP demands change of Gadkari’s portfolio as minister denies any commercial interest

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday demanded changing the portfolio of union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari after a report alleged his family had links with e-rickshaw manufacturing company. Gadkari, however, dismissed the reports that his family has links with a firm manufacturing e-rickshaws and asserted that he has no commercial interest in the sector manufacturing them.

‘The reported link of the union surface transport minister and former BJP president, Nitin Gadkari, with a Nagpur-based e-rickshaw manufacturing company is a clear case of direct conflict of interest,’ AAP said in a statement.‘Aam Aadmi Party demands that prime minister Narendra Modi should at least change Gadkari’s portfolio following the latest revelations about his conflict of interest,’ AAP said in a statement.

While dismissing reports about links of his family with a firm manufacturing e-rickshaws, Gadkari has asserted that he has no commercial interest in the sector manufacturing them. An official statement explaining his position came in the wake of media reports claiming that PGT, a Nagpur-based company having interests in manufacturing of such battery- operated tricycles, has links with his family. ‘Neither Gadkari nor any member of his family is associated with any e-rickshaw manufacturing firm,’ the official statement said.