‘ISRO now BJP’s 2024 campaign tool’: TMC leader Mahua Moitra attacks PM Modi

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra on Saturday, speaking on Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) moon mission Chandrayaan-3, took a jibe at the “Bhakt and troll army” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the saffron party will make ISRO their campaign tool for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Moitra said that every ISRO mission would now be used by the BJP. She said, “ISRO is now BJP’s 2024 campaign tool. Every mission will be used to whip up nationalistic frenzy before elections.”

Further, Moitra accused the “Bhakt and troll army” for working around the clock to portray Indian scientific reasearch as “Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai magic”.

She said, “Bhakt & troll army working 24-7 to package decades of Indian scientific research as Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai magic.”

At 6.04pm on Wednesday, August 23, India scripted history by becoming the first nation to land the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had watched the live streaming of the event online from South Africa’s Johannesburg where he had gone to attend the 15th BRICS summit from August 22-24. Right after Chandrayaan 3’s successful touchdown, Modi congratulated the nation virtually for the landmark feat and also called ISRO chairman S Somanath after his address.

Moitra also said in her tweet, “Wake up, India. And no, I am not anti-national.”

“Yes, ISRO has a lander on the moon. Not the first time too. May we remind BJP that Narendra Modi has not landed on the moon. Nor has BJP IT Cell produced the research behind Chandrayaan. Just saying,” Mahua wrote in another tweet.

PM Modi arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday to meet ISRO team behind Chandrayaan 3’s success, right after his Greece visit. Addressing a crowd at the HAL airport, PM said “I could not control myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India.”

Senior Scientist at U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Nidhi Porwal upon meeting PM Modi said he was the “head of ISRO family”. Porwal said, “It’s magic which we have seen coming true in front of our eyes. We have been working continuously and consistently for the success of this mission for a long time…A very strong team has worked day and night for all these four years to make this moment true…It’s always good when head of the family comes (on PM Modi’s visit)…We report directly to the Prime Minister as the Department of Space. It’s a pleasure and it motivates us so much.”