Aircraft carriers are one of the most important defence assets for a country because they enhance the Navy's capability to travel far from its shores and carry out air operations.
A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian took note of the fact that the Ministry of Defence has refused to accept the representation of private firm Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd that the decommissioned aircraft carrier be preserved.
Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited has sought a stay on the dismantling of INS Viraat, stating they want to convert it into a maritime museum.
The Supreme Court's order came on a petition by a firm that offered to buy INS Viraat, which was in service with the Indian Navy for 29 years before being decommissioned in March 2017, for Rs 100 crore and convert it into a museum.
Let INS Viraat be a living, breathing and thriving memorial of India's nationalism, patriotism, and pride. Let us be preservers than destroyers of our rich history, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
INS Viraat is currently stationed at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai and will have to be towed to Alang. It will take about four days for the warship to be towed to the ship breaking yard
The former Union minister also hit out at Modi over his comments that there was no evidence of cross-border actions under the previous UPA government and asked him to speak to the Army general who said such steps were not taken for the first time under the current government.
INS Viraat was decommissioned last year after 30 years with the Indian Navy.
An official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the museum project is aimed at making the young generation aware of the glorious history of the Indian Navy.
The Soviet-era aircraft, known as one of the most formidable airborne reconnaissance platforms around the world, were part of all major naval exercises and operations of Indian Navy since its induction in 1988.
The Indian Navy is going to decommission its oldest serving aircraft carrier in the world, the INS Viraat. The move will bring an end to the chronicles of the legendary warship that spent more than 55 years in service.