Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 9: Amid controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that former Prime Minister the late Rajiv Gandhi had used INS Viraat as a 'personal taxi' to holiday with family, former Navy officers have refuted the PM's allegations, clarifying that Rajiv Gandhi had sailed on the warship only for official purpose and not with family.
Addressing an election rally, PM Modi had said, "..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." He went on to claim that the INS Viraat was withdrawn from its place of deployment and sent to fetch Rajiv Gandhi's in-laws, and that the 'holiday' had continued for 10 days during which the warship remained stationed with them.
Retired lieutenant commander Gokul on Thursday May 9 took to Twitter to rubbish the PM's claim and said that Rajiv Gandhi had sailed on the INS Viraat on official work from Lakshadweep to Mangaluru. He also added that he could produce witnesses to back his claim.
"Yes India's then PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi sailed on board INS Viraat from Lakshwadeep island to Mangalore for (a) few hours. But as Modi is faking there were no ladies or foreigners present on that cruise. I can bring live witnesses to testify it here if challanged or if am proven wrong," he tweeted.
He also said that Indian warships were neither luxurious nor pleasant, and nobody would want to sail on them when they could fly instead. "Indian warships are not a pleasent place to be at. Any normal person will puke due to sea sickness on the living spaces of any Indian warship. And trust me that there are no luxuries onboard an aircraft carrier. So why would people so much pain to sail when they can fly?"
He also pointed out that every activity on a naval ship is recorded, and challenged PM Modi to verify his claim from the defence ministry.
"Any activity onboard a naval ship is transmitted and recorded. Every helicopter landings. Modi has another 15 days as PM. Let him check out from defence ministry and prove his allegation (sic)" he tweeted.
He went on to hit out at Modi, alleging that the PM has been using IAF for electioneering. "Modi uses IAF flights for his personal tours. Electioneering. Is IAF flights meant for BJP election meetings? Question it. And Rajivji didnt kill any jawans to get votes and seats," he said.
However, another retired former Navy commander, V K Jaitly, in a tweet backed Modi's statement. "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," he tweeted.
Former Navy chief refutes PM's claim
Retired admiral L Ramdas, who was the naval chief when Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister, also refuted the PM's allegations. In a detailed statement, Ramdas said that Gandhi had gone on an official trip to the Lakshadweep Islands to chair a meeting of the Islands Development Authority (IDA) held alternatively between Andaman and Lakshadweep Islands.
"The PM is authorized to travel along with his spouse by service aircraft on official duties..." he said, adding that Rahul Gandhi, (who would have been barely 17 then), never accompanied them.
He said the statement was issued after collating responses from his former senior naval colleagues - admiral Vinod Pasricha and vice-admiral Madanjit Singh - who were serving in the western fleet during the events nearly 32 years ago, to which Modi referred.
Ramdas said that there were no parties held on INS Viraat or any of the other four warships accompanying the now-decommissioned aircraft carrier and no foreigners accompanied Rajiv Gandhi nor did current Congress president Rahul Gandhi accompany them then.
According to the then administrator of Lakshadweep Islands Wajahat Habibullah, Gandhi was accompanied by his wife when he received them on the official trip.
On PM's allegation that Rajiv Gandhi had used the INS Viraat as his 'personal taxi' for a 10-day vacation, the retired admiral said, "I would like to state unequivocally that this was not the case."
He recounted the sequence of events of that period based on the replies by the retired naval top brass besides a naval officer who was then in-charge of the Lakshadweep Islands.
In December 1987, Rajiv Gandhi boarded INS Viraat off Thiruvananthapuram en route to Lakshadweep Islands, after attending an event as the chief guest at the National Games Prize distribution in the Kerala capital, and was proceeding to the Lakshdweep Islands for the IDA meeting.
One of the officers stated that there were four other naval ships accompanying the INS Viraat for the fleet exercises and as the flag officer commanding-in-chief based in Kochi, he had boarded the aircraft carrier.
"As the FoC-C, I hosted a dinner for them (Rajiv and his wife) on board INS Viraat. There were no other parties held on board INS Viraat, or for that matter, on any other ship in our fleet during that time," the officer said.
However, the late Prime Minister and his wife visited some of the islands on short trips by helicopter to meet local officials and the local people.
During Rajiv Gandhi's visit to Bangaram, on the last day, a few naval divers had been sent ashore for the Prime Minister's safety. No other ships had been diverted for the personal use of Gandhi family and only a small helicopter was stationed at Kavratti for medical emergency, said the statement.
Another officer said the meetings and functions (above) were held in December 1987 and the western fleet had planned its naval exercises with the (INS Viraat) much in advance in the annual exercise programme to be conducted in that region in the Arabian Sea.
"This was an opportunity for the officers and men to interact with their Prime Minister. He addressed the men, had 'Bada Khana' as per naval traditions," said an officer who later hosted a dinner for Rajiv Gandhi and produced a photograph to confirm it.
Habibullah said Rajiv Gandhi arrived in Lakshdweep Island for Island Development Authority meeting and that the holiday part was separate.
Rajiv Gandhi arrived in Kavaratti (capital of Lakshadweep) by a helicopter and the meeting lasted for two days.
"After the meeting, the rest of the cabinet went to their places of work and the Prime Minister (Gandhi) and his wife stayed beyond and moved to Bangaram. The bills of Pawan Hans (helicopter service) were paid for," Habibullah said.
He said the Pawan Hans helicopter flew in "other guests from other parts of the world" to Bangaram.
The then Lakshadweep administrator said INS Viraat and the Naval presence remained in Lakshadweep throughout the presence of PM for security reasons, especially because there was no airport in the Island at that time.
The holiday part was organised by SPORTS (Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports), an NGO set up by the Lakshdweep administration.
With IANS inputs