NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday demanded that senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad tender an apology for what it said making “shameful allegation” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using Defence Ministry helicopters for election campaign.
“Ghulam Nabi Azad is a senior leader, he has all the experience…..he must know that as Prime Minister in office is SPG protectee, he is allowed to use Defence Ministry copters. In fact, there has been a legal case and Delhi High Court had also ruled on the same,” BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
He said even the Supreme Court had also upheld the same ruling. The BJP leader’s reaction comes close on the heels of Mr Azad and other Congress leaders making an allegation that using of Defence helicopters and other government machineries by Prime Minister for election campaign in Gujarat amounts to “scam” that runs into “thousands of crores”.
Mr Prasad wondered why the Congress leaders were raising the issue when years after years, all Prime Ministers in office have been using Defence helicopters and planes for election campaign as it is linked to “security”.
“Indira Gandhi could use them for 16 long years….There was nothing wrong in it. Rajiv Gandhi also used them and so did Manmohan Singh even if he (Dr Singh) was not requisitioned much for election campaign. So why today, leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad were raising a bogey against Prime Minister Modi,” the Minister asked.
“I am surprised by such attacks. What’s the basis of these utterly irresponsible attack and shameful allegations,” he said.
(AGENCIES)
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