Self goal: Why on earth is Nitin Gadkari batting for Vijay Mallya?

Nitin Gadkari has done it again. The Union transport minister is known for ‘straight talk’ that amounts to googlies for his party. This time he has questioned the rationale of declaring Vijay Mallya a ‘wilful defaulter’ and further suggested that “if the mistakes are bona fide, forgive him and give him another chance.”

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari (TOI file photo)

In theory the minister has articulated the correct principle, that if we stamp every business that runs into problems as a fraud, this mindset will seriously shackle the Indian economy. But the problem is that Gadkari used Vijay Mallya as an example of such victimisation.

The Enforcement Directorate, CBI, public sector banks and others have been building the case against Mallya of not just default but also illegal fund diversion and other financial irregularities. The UK court ordering his extradition to India has also found, prima facie, a case against Vijay Mallya for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Political connections often allow a select group of people not only to get insupportably big loans from public sector banks, but also to flee the arms of law on further wrongdoing. Gadkari has given opposition great fodder to say this is the mindset of his government, by conjecturing that Mallya is a wronged damsel in distress.