Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed through a tweet that he had boarded a ‘tank’ while inspecting Larsen and Toubro’s Armoured Systems Complex facility in Hazira in his home state of Gujarat for manufacturing high-end guns. Hazira is located around 30 kms from Surat.
Posting a video, Modi wrote, “Checking out the tanks at L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira.”
Checking out the tanks at L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira. pic.twitter.com/zf7wRrbX7Y
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2019
However, no sooner had he posted the video, he began to face incessant trolling for getting his facts horribly wrong. Both the experts and the Congress reminded him that what he felt was a tank was in fact a self-propelled gun. Security expert Manjit Singh Bajwa wrote, “Thats not a tank, it’s a self-propelled gun. If one doesn’t know such things, its better to keep quiet rather than betray one’s lack of knowledge.”
Thats not a tank, it’s a self-propelled gun. If one doesn’t know such things, its better to keep quiet rather than betray one’s lack of knowledge. https://t.co/rRCaO0nPNw
— Mandeep Singh Bajwa (@MandeepBajwa) January 19, 2019
The Congress, which has been embarrassing the Modi government over the questionable Rafale jets deal, too reacted to Modi’s tweet with sarcastic post. It said, “Dear PM Modi, that’s not a tank. It’s a self-propelled howitzer. Hope you didn’t mistakenly buy a bi-plane instead of the Rafale.”
Dear PM Modi, that’s not a tank. It’s a self-propelled howitzer. Hope you didn’t mistakenly buy a bi-plane instead of the Rafale. https://t.co/Rc6OWPHeas
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 19, 2019
The Armoured Systems Complex, which Modi inaugurated earlier in the day, will be the first private facility in the country where the K9 Vajra self-propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured, reported the news agency PTI.
The company has reportedly set up the Armoured Systems Complex at Hazira to manufacture and integrate advanced armoured platforms, such as self-propelled artillery Howitzers, future infantry combat vehicles, future-ready combat vehicles and future main battle tanks, added the PTI report.