Ex-ISRO scientist credits PM Modi Chandrayaan-3, says ‘previous govt didn’t allocate funds’; Congress reponds
‘The Congress-led previous government had no faith in the Indian Space Research Organization and it didn’t have any budget allocation for the moon mission,’ said former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in a video that went viral on social media platforms.
In an interview with The New Indian, Narayanan also reacted to the war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress over PM Modi’s announcement to name the touchdown point on the lunar surface as ‘Shiv Shakti’. The grand old party had even accused PM Modi of ‘stealing credit’ for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
“You may not like the PM, it’s your problem. But it is the Prime Minister. Who else will be credited for it? The previous Congress government didn’t allocate enough funds to us. They had no faith in ISRO,” said the former scientist of the Indian space agency.
This came after the Congress hit out at those ‘unable to digest the contribution’ of Jawaharlal Nehru that led to the setting up of ISRO and asserted that India’s first prime minister used to encourage the scientific approach.
The grand old party and the BJP have been engaged in a debate over Nehru and other Congress prime ministers’ contribution to India’s space program with the opposition party highlighting its leaders’ efforts while the ruling party asserts that major strides have been made in this sector post-2014.
In a post on X on Sunday, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said, “Nehru used to promote scientific approach. Those who are unable to digest his contribution to the setting up of ISRO should listen to his speech on the foundation day of TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research).”
“Unlike the person who gave knowledge about the science of clouds providing a shield from radar, he (Nehru) did not just talk big but took big decisions,” Ramesh said in an apparent swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the moon, the Congress said that it is a collective success of every Indian and ISRO’s achievement reflects a saga of continuity and is truly fantastic, as per PTI reports.
The party has said India’s space journey began in 1962 with the formation of INCOSPAR, which was the result of the farsightedness of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, along with enthusiastic support from the country’s first prime minister, Nehru.
Later, in August 1969, Sarabhai established the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
Less
Updated: 28 Aug 2023, 11:44 AM IST
www.livemint.com
Source link