Rajiv Gandhi Used INS Viraat For Family Vacations, Reveals Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused former Prime Minster late Rajiv Gandhi of using aircraft carrier INS Viraat and its personnel for vacations with his foreigner in-laws.

He raked up the issue at a rally here to counter the attack by Congress leaders who say that defence forces have been politicised by the BJP, citing remarks by BJP leaders that "Modi ki sena" had carried out air strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan. Addressing the gathering in Ramleela Maidan, Modi said, "Who has been treating the forces as personal property? ...have you ever heard that a family goes for holiday on a warship? This has happened in our country. The 'naamdar' family used INS Viraat as its personal property. They insulted it." INS Viraat was withdrawn from its place of deployment and sent to fetch the in-laws of Rajiv Gandhi before it was taken to an island where nobody was there to welcome them and all arrangements for them were made by the personnel of the aircraft carrier, Modi alleged. The holiday continued not for one day, but for 10 days during which the warship remained stationed there, Modi added. The Prime Minister then asked whether the presence of "foreigners on the warship did not amount to playing with the security of the country. Or was it allowed just because he was Rajiv Gandhi?" Taking a pot shot at the Congress' NYAY scheme, Modi said,

Congress has started to talk about Nyay (justice), but I want to ask them who shall do justice to the victims of 1984 anti-sikh riots?"A In an apparent reference to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Modi said those who were behind the anti-sikh riots were made Chief Ministers by the Congress. The Prime Minister also said that in the last five years, 10 Janpath (the residence of the Gandhi family), which earlier used to house middlemen, has become middleman free. "Now instead of middlemen, their house is visited by lawyers and advocates as they are afraid of facing the law," he said. Modi further said that the country has witnessed four different political cultures -- 'naampanthi', 'vaampanthi', 'daam' and 'gaban panthi' and 'vikaspanthi'. "Those who believe in dyansties come under 'naampanthi', those who believe in 'vaampanthi' support foreign culture, while the 'daam' and 'gaban panthi' are those who believe in 'gundatantra' and 'vikaspanthi' is for those who believe in development." "But now a fifth political culture has arrived in the national capital and that is 'nakampanthi' -- those who don't want to work and those who fail in everything," he said, referring to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Modi also said that the bond between Delhi and BJP was strong and the party will keep on working for Delhi's welfare. He said the BJP-led NDA government has not only improved the country's ranking in ease of doing business, but it is also working towards ease of living. He said that price rise used to be a major issue in every election, but the NDA government has been able to bring it under control and the Opposition parties could no longer speak about it now. (With inputs from IANS)

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