Nagpur, Nov 2026 : Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has dismissed reports suggesting that he is planning to retire from politics, describing them as “false news” and clarifying that his recent remarks about giving opportunities to younger people were taken out of context.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an announcement about the 17th Agrovision agricultural exhibition in Nagpur on Saturday, Gadkari said his comments had been misinterpreted. “You will keep doing your work, and I will keep doing mine,” he remarked.
“As I have grown older, I say, ‘now call the young people’. But you publish false news that Gadkari is going to retire,” the 69-year-old minister said in a light-hearted response to the speculation.
The controversy began following Gadkari’s address at an event in Katol in Nagpur district, organised by the Laxmanrao Mankar Trust, which operates Ekal Vidyalayas in tribal areas. During the event, Gadkari, who has spent 30 years in public life, said he was no longer able to work as hard as he had in the past and that greater responsibilities should be entrusted to the younger generation.
His remarks triggered speculation across media platforms and social media that he was considering retirement from active politics or stepping down from his Cabinet position ahead of a possible Cabinet reshuffle.
However, Gadkari clarified that his comments were specifically related to the future functioning and leadership of the Mankar Trust. He said the organisation's work benefits nearly 40,000 tribal students and involves around 1,600 teachers, making it important to prepare younger people to take forward its activities.
Emphasising the need for generational transition, Gadkari said passing on responsibilities and guidance was a continuous process. Referring to the role of younger journalists, he told reporters that every generation must carry forward the work of those who came before it.
Reflecting on his three decades in public life and changes in his ability to work after the Covid-19 pandemic, Gadkari reiterated that he could not work as much as he once did and that younger people should receive greater opportunities.
Earlier, the Union Minister's office had issued a clarification stating that the remarks had no connection with politics and were confined to the Trust's functioning and future leadership. It also said that some television channels had portrayed his statement as a political comment by taking it out of its actual context.
Gadkari's latest clarification was aimed at putting an end to speculation about his political future, reiterating that his remarks concerned the need to involve younger generations in organisational responsibilities.
