Embroiled in the controversy that he allegedly received special privileges from the Essar Group, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said he had “never taken money from any corporate group.”
A report published in an English daily has claimed that the Essar group had favoured Mr. Gadkari, UPA ministers and some journalists, and that it had sponsored a trip on a foreign yatch for Mr. Gadkari and his family in 2013.
Responding to the allegations, which have triggered a political storm, Mr. Gadkari said he was invited to the yatch by Essar just to see the vessel. “The expenses for the trip were borne out of my family account. I have never done a trip with corporate money. I paid for the entire trip, the food and the travel tickets,” Mr. Gadkari told reporters here.
He explained that since the trip was done in personal space with his family, there was no conflict of interest as at the time of the trip he was not an MLA. MP or a Minister. “I am fond of seeing new things, be it sea planes or water bus. Essar asked me to check it out. Since it was privately owned I didn’t have to pay for the ticket,” he said.