Isn't life more important than money? This was done to save lives: Nithin Gadkari on hiked traffic fines

"To those states who are refusing to enforce the fines, isn't life more important than money? This was done to save lives," Gadkari, the Road Transport Minister, said in an interview to NDTV.

"People need to have a fear of law. Why was the death penalty for rape after the Nirbhaya case? To create a fear of the law."

On Tuesday, BJP-ruled Gujarat announced that the fines would be reduced by 90 per cent, even though the party's government at the Centre pushed for steep new penalties under the new Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act.

States will be responsible if they try to dilute traffic violation fines, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today as the ruling BJP was embarrassed by its own government - Gujarat - slashing the fines.

Asked on whether he could force states to fall in line, he remarked: "Jisko karna hai kare, na karna na kare (those who want to enforce it can do it. Those who don't, need not."

Referring to the long queues of car-owners rushing to get their pollution certificate to avoid hefty fines, Gadkari said: "Should we not bother about clean air for our future generations?"