The 58-year-old actor took a satirical jab at the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the platform once known as Twitter (now called X). However, his remark was met with backlash from many individuals who deemed it disrespectful.
Using Twitter as his platform, Raj shared a caricature depicting the former ISROChief K Sivan wearing a vest and lungi, humorously pouring tea, accompanied by the caption, ‘BREAKING NEWS: First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking’.
This post led to a barrage of criticism from netizens who viewed it as a mockery of India’s scientific endeavors.
The post was swiftly labeled as insensitive and derogatory by users, who implored Raj to exhibit respect for the dedicated scientists behind India’s momentous lunar mission.
“Never let hate consume you so much that you begin to hate the progress ,achievements and endeavours of your country & your own people. This is just such a sad waste of a life…,” said writer Smita Barooha
“If there are 2.8million people following him, it’s a shame for them. He’s anyways shameless,” tweeted cardiologist Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy.
Another user tweeted, “ISRO represents the best of India. It achieved greatness in spite of meagre resources & a pessimistic atmosphere. ISRO ranks among the best now, attempting what only a handful of nations have achieved. This man represents the worst of India. Hates that nation that has given him so much.”
Raj has consistently expressed his dissent towards the ruling party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the 2019 Indian general election, he contested as an independent candidate in the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency, but did not secure victory.
Some individuals believed that Raj’s post was not only crass but also an attempt to criticize Modi. In this process, they argued, he ended up belittling the hard work of the scientific community. A Twitter user quipped, “Hating Modi is one thing, but hating India’s development is something disgusting and only low life creatures like Prakash Raj can do! The moon mission is India’s pride, and the whole country is behind the project, except for such desh drohis who don’t want India to prosper!”
A user reamarked, “This is why one must not become too embroiled in politics the hate & seethe it generates can blind you to the point that even national achievements start to irk you as party achievements. Everything in life becomes a political binary friends, events, love interests even family.”
Chandrayaan-3 was launched into space by the LVM3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14, entering lunar orbit on August 5. Its intended soft landing is scheduled for August 23.
This mission follows in the footsteps of Chandrayaan-2, which, in September 2019, attempted a soft landing on the Moon but faltered during the final stages. A successful landing by Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram Lander would place India in the distinguished company of nations such as the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union that have accomplished this remarkable feat.
With the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians riding on its success, the Vikram Lander of Chandrayaan-3 is poised to etch history by touching down at the lunar south pole on Wednesday evening. Presently, the module is positioned above the Moon’s south pole, having concluded its de-boosting maneuvers, undergoing internal assessments, and scouting for potential landing sites.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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