My statements have been taken out of context: Nitin Gadkari over remark on Mallya

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday spoke over the remark previously made on 'fugitive' liquor baron Vijay Mallya stating he meant that if Mallya is guilty of any wrongdoing then an investigation on him is right and suitable. 

"I had said that if Vijay Mallya has done any wrong and an investigation is underway on him, then the investigation is right and suitable," the minister clarified. 

The Union Minister added that his remarks were taken out of context.

"I also said unka (Vijay Mallya) account 40 saal prime account tha aur 41st saal bigad gaya, toh business mein ups and downs hote hain. Both of statements have been taken out of context," Gadkari added. 

Gadkari, on Thursday, said that it is unfair to tag a "one-time loan defaulter Vijay Mallyaji" as a "chor" (thief), adding that the embattled businessman has a four-decade-long track record of timely debt servicing, news agency PTI reported. 

Gadkari, however, clarified that he has no business dealing with Mallya, who faces extradition from the UK for alleged bank fraud and money laundering amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore.

"For 40 years Mallya was regularly paying interest on loans. After entering the aviation sector, he started facing problems, and suddenly he became a thief? If a person repays the interest for 50 years, and if he defaults once, then suddenly everything is fraud? This mindset is not correct)," Gadkari said at an economic summit on Thursday.