Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday (January 17, 2026) said there was no shortage of money in the country and the need was for political leaders who honestly work for villages, the poor and farmers.
Addressing a function in Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating road projects costing several thousand crore rupees, the Union Minister said he had the mythological “Draupadi ki thali”, which can feed everyone and ensure no one goes hungry.
“There is no dearth of money in this country. There is no shortage of funds. There is need for political leaders to work honestly for villages, the poor and farmers,” the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister asserted.
“I have Draupadi ki thali. Let any number of people come. Not a single person will return hungry. We will feed everyone, that I can promise,” he said after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh sought approval for road projects.
‘Draupadi ki thali’ is a legend associated with the Mahabharata and is centred around the ‘akshay patra’ that Krishna gave Draupadi to ensure saints who had come when the Pandavas were in exile were well fed though there was no food at the time in the household.
Noting that more than 10,000 farmers had committed suicide in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region due to economic distress and other reasons, he said, “You might not know that I work 90% for farmers. I have dedicated my life to the cause of ensuring farmers do not commit suicide. I have made it my mission.” The country’s farmer is not only an “annadata” (food provider), but should also become an “urjadata” (energy provider), the senior BJP leader added.
Underlining the government’s vision, Mr. Gadkari said the aim under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to make India a world guru, the world’s third-largest economy, and the strongest economy in the world.
“Our country has the strength to achieve this,” he emphasised.
He said Indian professionals had carved a niche globally.
“Our software engineers dominate across the world. When I met the Prime Minister of Japan, he asked me if our software engineers had mathematics genes in their mind. In the U.S. and the UK, six out of ten doctors are Indians. Knowledge is power, strength and energy. This is our future,” Mr. Gadkari said.
In his address, Mr. Gadkari praised Mr. Chouhan, the Lok Sabha MP from Vidisha, saying the latter, as CM, had significantly boosted the State’s agricultural income and irrigation facilities. Mr. Chouhan was Madhya Pradesh CM from 2005 till 2018 and then again from 2020 till 2023.
Published – January 17, 2026 07:22 pm IST
