Congressional leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not spending effectively on the requirements of Indian soldiers and instead using funds on planes. Gandhi was referring to the delivery of two VVIP jets – custom-made B777s that will be used to fly the president, vice president and prime minister on October 1.
“PM bought an aircraft worth Rs 8400 crore for himself. In this, so much could have been bought for our soldiers stationed on the Siachen-Ladakh border, ”Gandhi said in a tweet.
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He further said that the same money could have been used to provide warm clothing, jacket, gloves and oxygen cylinders to the soldiers. “The prime minister is only concerned with his image and not the soldiers,” said the former president of Congress.
The total cost of purchasing and modernizing the two aircraft is reportedly estimated at around Rs 8.4 billion. The B777s will have state-of-the-art missile defense systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS), according to those in the know.
The arrival of the first plane triggered a verbal duel between the government and the leader of Congress, who accused Prime Minister Modi of “wasting” billions of rupees on the plane just because “his friend Donald Trump” has one. Gandhi was referring to Air Force One used by United States President Donald Trump.
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The government argued that the acquisition of the aircraft had started under the UP government and the BJP-led government at the Center has only led it to a logical conclusion, according to the PTI news agency.
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