The Congress took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he took a sortie on a Tejas aircraft on Saturday and hailed India’s indigenous capabilities, saying it doesn’t cost the “master of chunavi photo-ops” much to acknowledge the efforts and endeavours prior to 2014.
Modi undertook the during his Bengaluru visit and said the experience has bolstered his confidence in the country’s indigenous capabilities.
In a social media post attacking the Modi, Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh said, “Tejas is yet another tribute to our indigenous scientific and technological capacity and capability that has been built up resolutely over the decades.”
Tejas has been designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) that was established in 1984 and that worked collaboratively with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories(NAL), the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, the former Union minister said.
The design for the Light Combat Aircraft was finalised six years later, he pointed out.
Operational clearance was granted finally in 2011, Ramesh said, adding that there are, of course, a number of other key milestones as well. “It doesn’t cost the master of ‘chunavi photo-ops’ much to acknowledge the efforts and endeavours prior to 2014 that were essential to his claiming credit now,” the Congress leader said.