Rajiv Gandhi did not 'party' on INS Viraat: Ex-Commander of navy warship

Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha, who commanded the Viraat in December, 1987, has denied reports that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was joined by his friends and Italian mother-in-law on board of the aircraft carrier.

"Rajiv Gandhi was visiting Lakshadweep on official work -- a meeting of the Island Development Authority -- not a family holiday. Accompanying him were his wife Sonia Gandhi, son Rahul Gandhi and a couple of IAS officers," Vice Admiral Pasricha told NDTV.

Denying that Amitabh Bachchan or Sonia Gandhi's parents were on the warship, as claimed by the Prime Minister, Vice Admiral Pasricha said, "Other than the 3 people I told you, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, his son and two IAS officials, there was no one else... This politicisation of the armed forces is wrong and unacceptable".

What did Modi say?

Responding to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's charge that the Indian army was not anyone's personal property, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday charged the Gandhi family of treating state property as their personal property and said: "Gandhis used INS Virat warship for holidays."

Modi said this happened when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister and he went on 10-day holidays.

"Have you ever heard that somebody goes for holidays on a warship?'' he asked "Even Navy personnel were put on service of Rajiv Gandhi and his family while they were vacationing at the island. INS Viraat was also stationed at the island for 10 days during that time."