Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a news report that claimed there has been a delay in the procurement of clothing and other essential equipment required for soldiers posted in the high altitudes of Siachen-Ladakh.
Taking to Twitter, Mr. Gandhi did the math on what the government of India could have purchased for soldiers with the ₹8,400 crore that it spent in acquiring a special aircraft meant for the Prime Minister and others dignitaries.
His tweet was in response to a news report in a Hindi newspaper that claimed the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has sought permission from the Lok Sabha Speaker to visit Ladakh for an assessment on the ground after a Comptroller and Auditor General report flagged delays in the procurement of essential items for soldiers.
“The Prime Minister spent Rs 8,400 crore to acquire an air plane. For our soldiers posted in Siachen-Ladakh, this amount could have bought: Warm Clothing: 30,00,000, Jackets and gloves: 60,00,000, Shoes: 67,20,000, Oxygen Cylinders: 16,80,000. PM is only concerned about his image and not soldiers,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted.
For the second time in the past few days, the Congress leader hit out at the Modi government over the purchase of VIP aircraft after he was targeted by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for using a cushion during his recent tractor rally in Punjab.
Government sources, however, clarified that the VIP aircraft acquisition was cleared by the United Progressive Alliance government and was delivered during the current regime.