After Narendra Modi takes a dig at Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi clarifies the purpose of his trip with late father Rajiv Gandhi on INS Viraat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as their personal taxi for a holiday.
He launched this comment some days after attacking him with the "bhrashtachari no 1" remark.
Narendra Modi addressed his first poll rally in Delhi before the May 12 elections where he launched an attack on the Congress. He asked that why does it fume when he exposes the misdeeds of the Congress leaders in whose name they seek votes.
In reply to this, Congress president Rahul Gandhi did go on to admit that he visited INS Viraat with his father, late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, but also added that it was an official trip and not a holiday. "Why would anyone holiday on an aircraft carrier? It’s not a cruise ship!" Rahul Gandhi said in an interview with HT. Rahul Gandhi was responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comment at a rally in New Delhi that Rajiv Gandhi misused INS Viraat as his 'personal taxi' during a vacation to Lakshadweep (in 1987) and also hosted some foreigners on the ship.
Rahul Gandhi also opted not to respond to the attacks that were made on his late father Rajiv Gandhi amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha General Elections 2019.
Rahul Gandhi said, "Mr Narendra Modi is obsessed with my family. I’m not obsessed with my family. I don’t think about my father, grandmother or great-grandfather as much as Mr Modi does. He thinks that that’s the place where he’s going to find his escape. Best of luck to him!"
Narendra Modi had earlier said, "Ever imagined that a premier warship of the Indian armed forces could be used as a taxi for a personal holiday? One dynasty did it."
He went on to add, "INS Viraat was insulted by using it as a personal taxi. This happened when Rajiv Gandhi and his family was out for a 10-day vacation. INS Viraat was deployed for securing our maritime boundary. But it was diverted to take the Gandhi family which was out for a vacation."
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