CNN-News18 Town Hall: Takeaways from Nitin Gadkari, Rajeev Chandrasekar, Shashi Tharoor

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. Image: Mexy Xavier

CNN-News 18, on Monday, hosted 'CNN-News 18 Town Hall's Delhi chapter', which witnessed top policymakers, political leaders, and members of Parliament discussing party policies, manifestos and strategies in the face of Lok Sabha elections 2024. 

Sharing his views on the Town Hall theme 'Road to 2024', Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari expressed confidence about BJP's perforance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While talking about public transport and pollution in the national capital, Gadkari added, "We want to make Delhi free from traffic congestion and air pollution, and we should underline the importance of public transport to reduce air pollution," adding that a green infra solution is the priority of his government.  

Also present was Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology. Talking about GST on online gaming, which has dominated headlines in the past week, he said, "We would go back to the GST council to request it for consideration on the new regulatory framework."

He added, "That online gaming framework is in the nascent stage, and it would be evolved to be better regulation. The Prime Minister is of the view that we should do everything for the next decade in digital space. It is better to do it right than to do it fast."

Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor praised the Modi government's policy on G20. He said, "Foreign policy has evolved under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. It should be kept beyond politics. Now the world cannot ignore India, and, for this, the BJP-led Central government should be praised."

Tharoor added, there should be no politics on national security, but the government has given China a free hand for transgressions against India, and... "Relations with China are at a crossroads. There is no clarity from the government on China policy. There is no discussion on China in Parliament. The ban on Chinese mobile apps was just symbolic."
 
Speaking on the occasion, CNN-News 18 Managing Editor Zakka Jacob said, "CNN-News 18 Townhall is a big success which has brought representatives of the ruling establishment and opposition on a platform for meaningful discussions to showcase the preparedness for Lok Sabha elections 2024. The timing of the CNN-News 18 Townhall is quite significant as it reflects the battle between the NDA and Opposition which have coalesced to chalk out their plans for the 2024 showdown. We have also given viewers an opportunity to interact with the participating leaders to know the optics of the 2024 parliament elections. Such event empowers the viewers to make informed decisions vis-a-vis the democratic process of the country."