The Congress on Thursday said late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi did not use aircraft carrier INS Viraat for vacation but for an official purpose. The statement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused Rajiv Gandhi of using the aircraft carrier and its personnel for vacations with his foreigner in-laws. 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". --IANS For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine<doc-sep>NEW DELHI: Top retired naval officers on Thursday strongly refuted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that Rajiv Gandhi , his family and friends had used aircraft carrier INS Viraat as a “personal taxi” for a 10-day holiday in Lakshadweep in December 1987.Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha (retd), the then captain of INS Viraat, and former Navy chief Admiral L Ramdas (retd), the then the Kochi-based Southern Naval Command (SNC) chief, said Rajiv Gandhi was on board the aircraft carrier for two-three days on official duty as the PM.Moreover, no foreign nationals like Sonia Gandhi’s mother or friends of the Gandhis like film star Amitabh Bachchan ever embarked on INS Viraat, as is being alleged, added the officers.Vice Admiral Pasricha, however, said he had “no idea” about the vacation of Rajiv Gandhi, his family, in-laws and friends at Bangaram atoll in the Lakshwadeep archipelago, which had generated some controversy at that time for the alleged misuse of official machinery. “The vacation may have happened separately … I don’t know,” he told TOI.“But the remarks (of PM Modi at an election rally on Wednesday) about INS Viraat being used as a personal taxi are totally wrong. Rajiv, accompanied by his wife Sonia, son Rahul and two IAS officials, did stay on board INS Viraat for two-three days. But he was on an official tour to Lakshadweep to chair a meeting of the Islands Development Authority,” said Vice Admiral Pasricha, talking to TOI.“Rajiv, Sonia and the officials, used a helicopter to visit five-six islands to meet people and hold meetings. They would return to spend the night on INS Viraat. At no point were there any foreign nationals or visitors to the carrier. All that has been said (by PM Modi) is totally incorrect,” he added.Admiral Ramdas, who also was then on board INS Viraat, in turn, issued a statement to rebut PM Modi’s claims after talking to Vice Admiral Pasricha as well Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) and Vice Admiral Madanjit Singh (retd), who were commanding warships accompanying the aircraft carrier for a fleet exercise at that time.Rajiv and Sonia had used a helicopter to embark on board INS Viraat from Thiruvananthapuram (then Trivandrum) on way to Agatti in Lakshwadeep. “There were no foreigners with them. As the flag officer commanding-in-chief of the SNC, I hosted a dinner for them on board INS Viraat. There were no other parties held on board INS Viraat or for that matter any other ship in our fleet during that time,” said Admiral Ramdas.“From what I know only Rajiv and Sonia went ashore by helicopter (for the meetings in Lakshwadeep), and Rahul never accompanied them. During Rajiv’s visit to Bangaram on the last day, a few naval divers were sent ashore for the PM’s safety,” he said.Disputing claims that warships were diverted “for personal use of the Gandhi family”, Admiral Ramdas said the western fleet had planned its naval exercises with INS Viraat much earlier under the yearly exercise programme to be held in the Arabian Sea.With Rajiv on board INS Viraat, the customary “bada khana” was organized for the officers and men to interact with the PM. “Only one small helicopter was left at Kavratti to meet any emergency medical requirements of the PM and his wife,” he said.PM Modi, incidentally, has himself embarked on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (INS Viraat was decommissioned in March 2017) in June 2014 and December 2015. Modi’s predecessors like Manmohan Singh and A B Vajpayee, too, have spent time on board warships as part of the naval tradition to host the “PM’s Day at Sea”.<doc-sep>Rajiv Gandhi and his family used Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat to go for a vacation during his tenure as prime minister, Narendra Modi said at a public rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Wednesday. Training the guns on Gandhi family, PM Modi said that Rajiv Gandhi also employed navy staff and helicopter for making his family and friends' stay comfortable during the island vacation. "Have you ever heard that someone uses INS Viraat to enjoy holiday? It happened when Rajiv Gandhi was the PM of this country? INS Viraat, which was deployed on sea borders, was sent to facilitate a holiday for 10 days," PM Modi said during the rally. The prime minister also said that Rajiv Gandhi took his in-laws along with him on the vacation onboard INS Viraat. Rajiv Gandhi's in-laws were Italian citizens. "Foreigners were allowed to enter the INS Viraat, was it not a compromise with National security? They put nation first and security of Indian citizens second," Modi said. #WATCH PM Modi in Delhi: At the time when, INS Virat was positioned for protection of maritime boundaries, it was sent to take Rajiv Gandhi and his family to an island for their holiday. Even his in-laws were onboard INS Virat. Was it not a compromise of national security? pic.twitter.com/3RXdtJHF2m May 8, 2019 PM Modi was referring to the infamous Lakshadweep vacation took by Gandhi family in 1987. According to an India Today magazine report, the family had taken along quite a few of their Indian and international friends on the uninhabited island of Bangaram in the Lakshadweep archipelago, 465 km west of Cochin. Even as the report said that Rajiv Gandhi had asked to pay the bills of vacation by himself, the point of controversy was use of INS Viraat. Especially because the warship's daily expenditure at sea was astronomical as the Viraat travelled with an entire retinue of escort ships. A submarine was also reported to be in attendance and some defence experts questioned the justification of depriving the navy of its most effective fighting component merely to suit Rajiv's holiday plans. Considerable expense was also incurred in setting up a special satellite link up at Agatti for the duration of the holiday, the report said. INS Viraat was Indian Navy's flagship aircraft carrier. It was commissioned in 1987 and served for almost 30 years.<doc-sep>Former Navy chief Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas, as well as a former commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, have rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that Rajiv Gandhi used INS Viraat as a personal taxi. Vice Admiral (Retd) Vinod Pasricha, who was commanding the ship during the then prime minister's visit, said all protocols were followed during Gandhi's official trip in 1987, adding no foreigners or other guests were present. Addressing an election rally in Delhi on Wednesday, Modi said the former prime minister used INS Viraat as a private taxi and his in-laws were onboard the aircraft carrier. "The claim was totally wrong," said Vice Admiral (retd) Pasricha. However, another former Navy Commander (retd) VK Jaitly, in a tweet, said "Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi used INS Viraat for travel to celebrate their holidays at Bangaram island. Indian Navy resources were used extensively. I am a witness. I was posted on INS Viraat that time." Former Navy Chief Ramdas, who was the Southern Navy Commander, in a statement, said no foreigners visited INS Viraat and that Rajiv Gandhi and his wife were onboard the aircraft carrier following all official protocol. "Prime Minister and Mrs Gandhi were embarked on board INS Viraat off Trivandrum enroute Lakshwadeep. The Prime Minister was at Trivandrum as chief guest for the National Games prize distribution," the former Navy Chief said. "He was going to Lakshadweep on official duty, to chair a meeting of IDA (Islands Development Authority). This meeting is held alternately in Lakshadweep and in Andamans," he said. Admiral Ramdas, added, "There were no foreigners with them. I, as Flag officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command, based in Cochin, also boarded INS Viraat." PTI For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine<doc-sep>
“I, as Flag officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command also boarded INS Viraat. There were no other parties held on board INS Viraat,” Admiral L. Ramdas said in an open letter A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed in an election speech that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had used aircraft carrier INS Viraat for personal holiday in 1987 along with his family, the then top brass of the Navy on Thursday denied the comments, stating that the late Rajiv Gandhi was on-board the vessel on an official trip en route to the Lakshadweep islands. “I would like to state unequivocally that this [allegation that Mr. Gandhi was on holiday with his family] was not the case,” former Navy Chief Admiral L. Ramdas said in a statement, with collated responses from other top officers of the Western Fleet at that time. “There were no foreigners with them. I, as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Southern Naval Command, based in Cochin, also boarded INS Viraat. Four other ships were with INS Viraat as part of Fleet exercises. As FOC-in-C, I hosted a dinner for them on board INS Viraat. There were no other parties held on board INS Viraat or, for that matter, any other ship in our fleet during that time,” he said. Corroborated The former officers quoted in the statement include Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha, then Captain and Commanding Officer (CO) of INS Viraat; former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, then CO of INS Vindhyagiri, which was accompanying the carrier; and Vice Admiral Madanjit Singh, then CO of INS Ganga. Adm. Ramdas stated that Rajiv Gandhi and Mrs. Gandhi had embarked on-board INS Viraat off Thiruvananthapuram, where the former PM had been the chief guest for the National Games prize distribution ceremony, and were en route to the Lakshwadeep islands. They visited some of the islands on short trips by helicopter to meet local officials there, which the Prime Minister is authorised to do, Adm. Ramdas pointed. “From what I know, only Rajiv and Sonia went ashore by helicopter and Rahul never accompanied them,” he observed. ‘Not diverted’ However, on the last day of the visit, when they went to Bangaram island, a few naval divers had been sent ashore for the PM’s safety, Adm. Ramdas said. Stating that no ships were “specially diverted for the personal use of the Gandhi family,” Adm. Ramdas said the Western Fleet had planned its Naval exercises with the aircraft carrier much in advance. “This was an opportunity for the officers and men to interact with their PM. He addressed the men, had ‘bada khana’, as per Naval custom,” he added. Separately, Vice Admiral Pasricha, too, told the media that the claim was totally wrong, and all protocols had been followed. Congress targeted Speaking in Bhopal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman targeted the Congress on the issue. “What happened on INS Viraat is known to everyone and it is in the public domain. The clear misuse of the Army, Navy and Air Force by the Congress is well-known but now they [the Congress] are shedding crocodile tears asking whether PM Modi is misusing the name of the military,” she said. However, when pointed out that a former Vice Admiral had denied that the warship was used by Mr. Gandhi’s family, Ms. Sitharaman said she was not aware of the former Vice Admiral’s statement.