PM Modi flew on Made-in-India light combat aircraft Tejas on Saturday
The BJP lashed out at the Opposition for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his sortie on a Tejas fighter aircraft, alleging that the Opposition does not just hate the PM but also doesn't want the country's welfare.
Dressed in an olive green fighter pilot G-suit, PM Modi on Saturday flew on the homegrown light combat aircraft Tejas. After the flight, the PM said the experience bolstered his confidence in the country's indigenous capabilities.
The Congress took a swipe at the Prime Minister over the sortie, saying it doesn't cost the "master of Chunavi photo-ops" much to acknowledge the efforts and endeavours of the governments prior to 2014.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Shantanu Sen reportedly said that he was afraid that "in no time this particular aircraft gets crashed."
Hitting back at the Opposition, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "It shows the hatred that they have, not just for the honourable Prime Minister... but the welfare of Bharat as well."
He said it was a "proud moment for every Indian" that the Prime Minister was flying in the Tejas which is an indigenous product and a symbol of the country's pride.
"Gone are the days when our armed forces were asking for bulletproof jackets, and Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and the then Congress government were busy buying VVIP choppers for themselves and never cared for the jawans," he charged.
The world recognises the might of India today, he added.
"And I must say that our Prime Minister, who has the blessings of 140 crore Indians, need not worry about certain Congress stooges, TMC stooges, or opposition parties that make such irresponsible statements regarding the Prime Minister of the country," he added.
He accused the Opposition of playing negative politics all the time and said that the "poison" of hatred that they have for the Prime Minister will eventually lead them to their end in politics.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)