Gadkari asserted that he was taking his own decisions - though often after consulting senior party and RSS leaders.
New BJP president Nitin Gadkari says he has "100%" support and cooperation from party seniors and that he was not a "puppet" of any of them.
53-year-old Gadkari, the youngest ever BJP president who assumed the high party post on December 20, asserted that he
was taking his own decisions - though often after consulting
senior party and RSS leaders.
Gadkari while speaking to Karan Thapar in CNN-IBN's "Devil's Advocate" programme also denied he is an RSS appointee and that he was imposed on the party.
"100 percent, I'm telling you that all leaders are with me. They are supporting me from the core of their heart and they have guided me very properly, taking all precaution about my activity, and they are supporting me," Gadkari said when asked if he has the full support and co-operation of senior leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar.
Gadkari, who has confessed to being new to Central politics, denied that these senior leaders were turning him into a puppet.
"Not at all they have such type of intention. And the people who know me know that I will never become a puppet. I can make bonafide mistakes but I cannot make malafide mistakes," he said.
The BJP leader from Maharashtra also said, "Last four years as the president of BJP in Maharashtra, RSS is part of my life conviction. But RSS leaders never direct me, never give me any instruction. And even as BJP president, I am taking my own decisions."
He insisted that senior BJP leader LK Advani and his predecessor Rajnath Singh were the first to suggest that he should become BJP president. He denied that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had imposed him on the BJP.
"Some people there are keeping this image that RSS is controlling BJP. This is not the correct thing.They (RSS) never interfere in our day-to-day activities, never interfere in the selection of candidates and politics," Gadkari said.
However, Gadkari maintained that BJP and RSS have an "ideological relationship" and the party often discusses issues with the latter.
On whether BJP had become the front organisation of RSS, Gadkari said this perception was due to the gap between image
and reality.
Asked if BJP could reject an advice given by RSS, Gadkari said, "Yes, many times. There is democracy in RSS. Even when I go to the highest leader in the RSS, I can discuss with himand exchange with him that this is my opinion. When there is adecision of RSS regarding its matters, every RSS swayamsewak is ready to accept that."
The BJP president described Bhagwat and former RSS chief KS Sudarshan as a democratic leader with whom he discussed issues often and had differences on several occasions.
Gadkari said as BJP president he could follow his path.
On a question about BJP being identified with Kandhamal riots in Orissa, Ram Sene in Karnataka and Varun Gandhi's alleged communal speech, Gadkari said, "We are a democratic party. We are many leaders in the party having different views."
He argued that these did not represent the views of the party. "As far as Ram Sene is concerned, it is not directly or indirectly related with BJP. It is a section of the people, they decide that they want to attach everything with BJP," he said.
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