India facing crisis of having 'no ideology' at all, says Nitin Gadkari

Mumbai: Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said on Monday the country is facing a situation where there is "no ideology" at all.

He also deprecated the trend of politicians switching sides to remain in power. "There is no crisis of ideological clashes in the country. The crisis is of having no ideology at all. "There is no 'right' or 'left'; we all are seen as 'opportunists'. Whichever party comes to power, some people join it and then leave it once the party is out of power," he said.

Gadkari was speaking at the first convocation ceremony of the post-graduate course in Leadership, Politics and Governance at the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership (IIDL).

The IIDL functions under the aegis of the Rambhau Mhalagi Prabodhini, a training and research academy located near Mumbai.

In a veiled attack on the Congress, the Union minister said those who talk of secularism hardly follow the principle. "People take names of (social reformers) Shahu (Chhtrapati Shahu Maharaj) (Jotiba) Phule and (Babasaheb) Ambedkar to show their secular line of thoughts. However, when it comes to elections, they always demand ticket for their family members and even for their driver, but not for a good party worker," he rued.

Gadkari said those who swear by secularism do not hesitate to engage in politics of communalism. "Those who talk of secularism all the time are the one who are mired in communal politics," maintained the BJP leader.