New Delhi, May 8 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused then Prime Minster Rajiv Gandhi of using aircraft carrier INS Viraat and its personnel for vacations with his foreign in-laws.
He raked up the issue at a rally here to counter the attack by Congress leaders who say that defence forces have been politicised by the BJP, citing remarks by BJP leaders that "Modi ki sena" had carried out airstrikes on a terror camp in Pakistan.
"Who has been treating the forces as personal property? ...have you ever heard that a family goes on a warship for holiday? This has happened in our country. The 'naamdar' family used INS Viraat as personal property. They insulted it," Modi said.
INS Viraat was withdrawn from its place of deployment and sent to fetch the in-laws of Rajiv Gandhi and taken to an island where nobody was there to welcome them and all arrangements for them were made by the personnel of the aircraft carrier, he alleged.
The holiday continued not for one day but for 10 days during which the warship remained stationed there, Modi added.
The Prime Minister then asked whether presence of "foreigners on the warship did not amount to playing with the security of the country. Or was it allowed just because he was Rajiv Gandhi?"
He also raked up the issue of anti-Sikh riots in Delhi during the Congress rule at the rally held to seek support for BJP candidates for the parliament elections in Delhi.
Delhi will go for polling on May 12.