The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making Indian Air Force (IAF) jets his “own taxi” and paying “as low as” Rs 744 for using IAF aircraft for election trips. The grand old party also hit back at Modi for alleging that the late Rajiv Gandhi used INS Viraat as “personal taxi” on a family vacation, saying he is a “serial liar” who does not have the courage to fight elections on issues such as unemployment and demonetisation.
Citing a media report based on facts from a RTI, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, ruling party at Centre BJP paid a total of Rs 1.4 crore to the IAF for 240 “non-official domestic trips” made by Modi since the start of his tenure as prime minister till January 2019.
“In some cases, the amount paid seemed to be quite low. For example, the BJP paid Rs 744 for a ‘H/P Balangir-H/P Patharchera’ trip by Modi on January 15, 2019,” Surjewala claimed about the news report.
“Distraction and fakery is your last resort. You have made Indian Air Force jets your own Taxi! You have paid as low as Rs 744 for using IAF jets for election trips!” Surjewala said.
In an apparent reference to Modi’s allegation that the late PM Rajiv Gandhi used INS Viraat as a “personal taxi” on a family vacation, the party pointed that a scared Modi is now shamelessly pointing fingers on others.
A day after Modi accused late PM Rajiv Gandhi of using warship INS Viraat as a “personal taxi” for a family holiday, Congress alleged that Prime Minister is spreading canards and lies during elections and said it proves his “imminent defeat”.
Congress’ social media strategist Divya Spandana slammed Modi for allegedly taking Canadian citizen Akshay Kumar with him onboard Indian Navy warship Sumitra. Her attack on Modi came a day after he accused late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of using warship INS Viraat as a “personal taxi” for a family holiday.
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi alleged that PM Modi was spreading disinformation and lies about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi taking his family on INS Viraat when he was in office and quoted former Navy chief Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas and other Naval officers of the time said that Gandhi was on an official visit then.
Congress accused Modi of “demeaning” the office of Prime Minister and said “you have regressed far from progressing”. He asked what relation does Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to a Naval ship have “in 2019, to the issue of jobs he promised in the air and to agricultural distress or demonetisation which crushed our MSMEs”.
Singhvi also said that people know when a party revives a citizenship issue in the middle of elections after five years in power, “without a shred of legal or factual finding against Congress President Rahul Gandhi, it is only proving their own frustration on knowing their defeat”.
Singhvi said the BJP attacked former PM Rajiv Gandhi on Bofors omitting to even mention about the 2004 judgement, which the BJP never appealed. In 2018, the case was dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said abusing a martyred Prime Minister is the sign of “ultimate cowardice”. “Rajiv ji lost his life due to their hatred and is no longer here amongst us to answer the baseless allegations and abuses which are being unleashed on him. Abusing a martyred Prime Minister is the sign of ultimate cowardice,” Patel tweeted.
