Rajiv Gandhi used INS Viraat for official visit, not vacations: Congress' rebuttal to Modi

The Congress on Thursday said late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi did not use aircraft carrier INS Viraat for vacation but for an official purpose.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Modi was attacking Gandhi as he had no achievements of his government to present before voters.

"Vice Admiral (retired) Vinod Pasricha has told TV channels that this is a lie. Rajivji was on an official visit. It was not a holiday. Facts do not matter to Modi," he said.

Khera said Modi was the first Prime Minister of the country who was seeking votes on his "failures".

"What has happened in Pulwama is a monumental failure of the intelligence. However Modiji dared to seek votes over it," he said.

Issues such as demonetization, unemployment and Rafale aircraft deal were not the part of the debate for Modi, he said.

"Modi may hold Rajiv Gandhi responsible for all this. The government has informed the Supreme Court that documents related to Rafale were stolen. Modi may hold Rajivji responsible for it. Or be it fugitive offenders who flew away with Rs 1 lakh crore," Khera said.

"Modi may say Rajiv Gandhi asked him to carry out the demonetization exercise."

Khera said Modi had tried to shift the blame for "his foolish acts" in the last five years to late Prime Ministers Gandhi and also Jawaharlal Nehru.

Last week, Modi had called Gandhi "bhrashtachari No 1".

Yesterday, Modi raked up the issue of 'INS Viraat' at a rally 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INS Viraat was withdrawn from its place of deployment and sent to fetch the in-laws of Rajiv Gandhi before it was taken to an island where nobody was there to welcome them and all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?