Stall scrapping of INS Vikrant: BJP to Defence Ministry

NEW DELHI: BJP has sought the Defence Minister's intervention in stalling the process of scrapping Naval aircraft carrier INS Vikrant which had played a stellar role in India's war against Pakistan in 1971.

In a letter to Defence Minister A K Antony, BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Kirit Somaiya have said he should intervene to stall the process to scrap Vikrant, which has been initiated by the Centre and Maharashtra government.

"It is sad that now GOI and GOM decide to scrap the Vikrant project and to scrap Vikrant itself. We want you to intervene and save the pride of the nation," said the letter signed by Munde and other BJP leaders.

Munde, who is Deputy leader of BJP in Lok Sabha, said the Defence Ministry has recently approved the sale of the aircraft carrier as scrap after the failure to put in place decade-long plans to convert the warship into a floating museum in Mumbai.