'At least there is one leader who is ...': AAP on Nitin Gadkari’s ‘I get infections after staying 2 days in Delhi’ remark

NEW DELHI: AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has welcomed Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s comments on Delhi’s air pollution.“I want to thank him that at least there is one leader who is raising the voice of the common people and telling the truth. I think that around 60 per cent of Delhi has fallen sick in the last three months. Nitin Gadkari's statement directly contradicts the central government's claim that pollution has no relation to lung diseases,” he said. Gadkari acknowledged that the transport sector is responsible for nearly 40% of air pollution, as he voiced concern over Delhi’s worsening air quality and its impact on public health.Speaking on Tuesday at the launch of My Idea of Nation First – Redefining Unalloyed Nationalism, a book by journalist Uday Mahurkar, the road transport and highways minister said he falls ill after staying in the capital for just two days because of polluted air.“I stay in Delhi for just two days and end up getting infections. Why is Delhi suffering so much from pollution?” Gadkari said, adding that the transport ministry itself contributes significantly to the problem. “I am the transport minister, and 40% of the pollution is caused by us,” he acknowledged.Gadkari linked environmental concerns with economic policy, questioning India’s dependence on fossil fuel imports. He said the country spends around Rs 22 lakh crore annually on importing fossil fuels, calling it incompatible with the idea of nationalism.“If there is any true nationalism today, it lies in reducing imports and increasing exports,” he said. “By spending so much money, we are polluting our own country. Can’t we become self-reliant in alternative fuels and biofuels?", he added further.