Former Navy chief, then flag officer, says: No foreigner stepped on board INS Viraat

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He said that he had drawn from written responses received from Vice-Admiral Pasricha, then captain and commanding officer of INS Viraat, and Vice-Admiral Madanjit Singh, commanding officer of INS Ganga, and a note from an officer who was then naval officer in-charge at Lakshadweep Islands.

Speaking with The Indian Express from his residence in Alibag, Ramdas said, “This is what I gathered from the information I have got. I want to make it abundantly clear that no foreigners ever stepped on board (INS Viraat) during that two-day trip. Only the Prime Minister and his wife, as far as I am seeing. I do not know who else was there or what was happening. Nobody came on board Viraat and nobody came on any of the other ships, to the best of my knowledge.”

Admiral L Ramdas (retd) said: “No ships were specially diverted for the personal use of the Gandhi family.” (Express Archive)

The statement read, “Prime Minister and Mrs Gandhi were embarked onboard INS Viraat off Trivandrum enroute Lakshadweep. The Prime Minister was at Trivandrum as chief guest for the National Games Prize distribution. He was going to Lakshadweep on official duty to chair a meeting of IDA (Islands Development Authority). This meeting is held alternatively in Lakshadweep and the Andamans.”

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Ramdas, a recipient of the Magsaysay Award for Peace, added, “There were no foreigners with them. I, as Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command, based in Cochin, also boarded INS Viraat. Four other ships were with INS Viraat as part of fleet exercises. As FoC in C, I hosted a dinner for them onboard INS Viraat. There were no other parties held on board INS Viraat or for that matter any other ship in our fleet during that time.”

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In the two-page statement, Ramdas also said, “They did, of course, visit some of the islands on short trips by helicopter to meet local officials, as also the people there. (PM is authorised to travel along with his spouse by service aircraft on official duties). From what I know only Rahul and Sonia went ashore by helicopter and Rahul never accompanied them.”

Earlier, Ramdas had written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India seeking action against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath referring to the Indian Army as ‘Modi ji ki Sena’.