Jitendra Singh Accuses Opposition of Politicizing Space Program, Questions Their Criticism of Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla

Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, criticized the opposition for their lack of acknowledgment of India’s space achievements, noting their silence even after the nation showcased its capabilities during Operation Sindoor. During a special parliamentary discussion regarding astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s return from the International Space Station (ISS), Singh asserted that the opposition was displacing their animosity towards the BJP and NDA onto an astronaut without political affiliation. The opposition responded with protests. Singh expressed his disappointment with the opposition’s failure to commend the space experts and scientists for their work, stating their anger should be directed towards the government, the BJP, and the NDA, instead of an astronaut who serves as a disciplined soldier in the Indian Air Force. He also underscored the role of space technology in the success of Operation Sindoor, which he attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Singh further highlighted that the space sector gained momentum after 2014. He questioned why the Department of Space was isolated for an extended period. Singh stated that the core issue wasn’t the lack of talent or willingness to work but a deficiency in policy harmony, which was corrected when the NDA came to power. Before Singh’s statements, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor acknowledged the importance of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s recent mission to the ISS for India’s human spaceflight program. Shukla returned to Earth on July 15 after the Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, marking the first instance of an Indian traveling to space in 41 years.