From our archives: Rajiv Gandhi's Lakshadweep holiday; Guess who else was there

Did Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi use INS Viraat as his personal playground during his visit to the Lakshadweep islands, along with family and friends? We dive into the Express archives to find out.

Accusing the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as a 'personal taxi' in 1987, PM Modi has dragged Rajiv Gandhi's trip with family and friends to Lakshadweep back to the news again. So what do the Express stories from then reveal? We begin with our  

PM Modi is not the first BJP leader to criticise the late leader over his tour to the Union Territory. According to a report published on December 20, 1987, Rajiv was asked to give up his luxurious Christmas eve holiday by BJP secretaries JP Mathur and VK Malhotra. The duo wanted Rajiv to 'desist from such gross misuse of public money'. (Photo | Express archives)

The impact of the VIP group's visit to the island was explained in the story titled 'People barred entry into Lakshadweep' published on December 28, 1987. Reported from Cochin, the story's lead read: 'The entry of ordinary people from the mainland to the Lakshadweep and vice-versa has virtually been stopped, as the Prime Minister is holidaying in one of the uninhabited islands of the archipelago...' (Photo | Express archives)

Unlike the BJP, sources close to Rajiv described his vacation as 'an austere holiday.' 'The Prime Minister who arrived on Tuesday morning at Minicoy sailing by INS Viraat, was given a warm, traditional welcome,' the report stated.(Photo | Express archives)

The Bangaram island, which was chosen by the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for his year-end holiday, enjoys a special status among the islands of the archipelago... (Photo | Express archives)

Rajiv Gandhi often stressed the need to revamp the public sector, but what he inaugurated at Kadamat in Lakshadweep was a TV manufacturing unit that this report feared could add to the huge accumulated losses of the state-owned firm which set it up, Keltron (Photo | Express archives)

After the visit of the Prime Minister and his family, Lakshadweep according to this report has become the 'in thing' for VIPs (Photo | Express archives)

A front page report on January 24, 1988 noted that at least eight foreigners joined the Prime Minister and his family during their New Year holiday here (Photo | Express archives)

Apart from the Prime Minister, the TV centre in Bangaram inaugurated by him on Dec 30 also decided to take a holiday. Refer the box item on the right. Also, under the who's who find the other members of the then Prime Minister's holiday party. There are some familiar names there. (Photo | Express archives)

On the occasion of Rajiv Gandhi completing thousand days as Prime Minister of the country, Ajay Bose reported 'on the opulence and extravagance of the Rajiv regime.' (Photo | Express archives)