Who paid for over 100 trips of Narendra Modi as Gujarat CM, asks Congress

The estimated cost of these air travels was around Rs 16.56 cr, says Abhishek Manu Singhvi

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The Congress on Wednesday demanded to know who paid for over 100 trips Narendra Modi made by chartered planes across India and abroad when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister between 2003 and 2007.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the estimated cost of these air travels was around Rs 16.56 crore.

"The nation wants to know, we want to know, as to who paid for these chartered plane travels by Modi. No information has been furnished till date in response to a RTI query made in 2007," Singhvi said.

Defending Robert Vadra in a case of alleged favour he took from arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Singhvi said the mails selectively leaked by the government prove nothing against the son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi whereas details of Modi's travels have been officially sought through the RTI.

Singhvi disclosed, based on RTI revelations, that Modi travelled to Switzerland (July 1, 2007), South Korea (June 16, 2007), Japan (April 15, 2007) and China (November 1, 2006) along with some well-known industrialists and business tycoons.

Waving a picture of Bhandari with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Singhvi alleged that he was close to Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

The Congress leader also demanded to know how Bhandari was allowed to flee abroad in December 2016 even though his passport had reportedly been impounded by the government in June that year.

"Who helped Bhandari fly out of the country much like Vijay Mallya? It was not our government in 2016."

The BJP had on Tuesday asked the Congress to explain the alleged links between Robert Vadra and arms dealer Bhandari.