Rajiv Gandhi used warship INS Virat as ‘personal taxi’ to go on holiday: PM Modi

New Delhi, May 08: Escalating his attack on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Narendra Modi on Wednesday claimed that the former prime minister used warship INS Virat as 'private taxi' for holidaying.

He was addressing his first 2019 poll rally in Delhi at the Ramlila Maidan and was accompanied by the BJP's seven Lok Sabha candidates for the national capital.

"Congress namdaar (Rahul Gandhi) does not spare an opportunity to abuse me and is shouting at me that the military is not anyone's personal property. But it was his father and the family who used INS Viraat like a personal taxi."

"The incident relates to the period when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister and had gone on holidays. At that time, INS Virat was deployed to secure borders but at that time, INS Viraat was sent to fetch Gandhi family. It stopped for 10 days. Rajiv Gandhi's in-laws were also present. Isnt it a breach of national security that foreign nationals were allowed to board the ship A military chopper was also placed at their disposal," the PM said at Ramlila Maidan.

Attacking the Kejriwal-led government Modi said, "Delhi has seen 'nakampanthi' model of governance. People had come to change the country, but they themselves. They supported 'tukde tukde' gang and strengthened India's enemies."

Explaining the term 'Nakampanthi', which he used in reference to the AAP government, Modi said it means "not allowing Centre's Ayushmaan Bharat in Delhi hospitals".

He said the BJP has reduced pollution and traffic jam in Delhi by building eastern and western peripherals.

"Inflation was always an important poll issue, but now opposition is not able to corner government on this," he added.

The BJP began using "tukde tukde" gang to refer to students accused of raising anti-India slogans in Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2016 and has generalised the phrase to attack those it accuses of sympathising with Maoists and separatists.