Congressional leader Rahul Gandhi was answering questions about his “padded” seat on a tractor.
New Delhi:
Congressional MP Rahul Gandhi, who was mocked sitting on cushioned seats during a tractor rally against agricultural laws in Punjab yesterday, responded today by accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “wasting” billions of rupees on a set of two custom-built Boeing planes that “had not just a cushion but plenty of luxurious beds for her comfort.”
Questioning the need to spend such a large amount of money “when China is on our borders” and the government is sending weapons, ammunition, fuel, food and winter essentials to eastern Ladakh, in its largest operation in decades, Gandhi suggested Prime Minister Modi. he wanted the planes – one of which is Air India One – because “his friend Donald Trump (the president of the United States) has one (Air Force One).”
“Why don’t you ask them about this? It’s strange that no one asks about the Boeing 777 bought for this huge amount, but everyone is quick to point out a gaddi (cushion), “Gandhi told reporters today in Patiala in Punjab, the second day of this three-day rally.
“On the one hand, Prime Minister Modi bought two planes worth 8 billion rupees. On the other, China is on our borders and our security forces are braving the harsh winters to protect us,” he said, adding that the cushions they had been placed there by sympathizers.
Gandhi’s comment prompted an immediate response from sources in the government, who noted that the process of acquiring the planes, one of which is for VVIP, began under the congressional-led UPA administration and said it had simply concluded. the purchase.
Union Minister Hardeep Puri tweeted a picture of Rahul Gandhi on the padded seats of a tractor.
Gandhi has openly criticized the Narendra Modi government on several fronts, including its handling of China’s border row; this morning, the congressional leader declared that the prime minister is “just obsessed with his image” and that he had gifted 1,200 square kilometers of territory to China.
Later that night, sources defended the government’s purchase of the planes, which began in 2011, and said Gandhi had the right to “ignore the UPA government,” but not his own deeds.
The sources clarified that the planes, which belong to the Indian Air Force, are not “the PM’s planes” but were also intended to be used by other VVIPs.
Air India One, a Boeing 777 aircraft tailor-made for President, Vice President, Prime Minister arrived in Delhi last week.
The acquisition process began in 2011, the sources said, adding that for the following year an inter-ministerial group had recommended the Boeing 777 after ten meetings. The purchase order was transferred to the Air Force in 2013 and was completed this year, the sources explained.
The planes, they further said, were intended to replace those currently in use. These are over 25 years old, “incapable of long transatlantic flights … and they are also fuel guzzlers of epic proportions.”
One of the planes in question, Air India One, landed at Delhi airport last week after its initial delivery was delayed by the Covid pandemic. It is equipped with state-of-the-art missile defense systems and Self-Protection Suites (SPS), technology for which the United States sold for $ 190 million.
Overall, the planes cost Rs 8.4 billion, according to the PTI news agency.
Currently, the President, Vice President and Prime Minister fly Air India B747 aircraft that are used for commercial traffic when they are not being flown.
With input from PTI
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