In a debate in the Lok Sabha today, regarding India’s successful space missions, senior BJP MP Nishikant Dubey strongly criticized the Congress party, saying they had “sabotaged” India’s space program with the help of foreign countries. His comments came during a special session, which caused a major political reaction.
The Congress denied these claims. Dubey’s speech mainly focused on the 1994 case of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan. He said the previous Congress government, along with countries like the US, China, and Pakistan, was responsible for Narayanan’s arrest. This was meant to weaken India’s cryogenic engine program, he claimed.
According to Dubey, this action held back India’s space progress for many years. In his speech, he said, “We need to understand when Congress does not want to talk about a topic like the space mission.”
He also mentioned, “There was an ISRO scientist in Kerala called Nambi Narayanan. The Congress government had him arrested by the CBI in 1994 and sabotaged and backstabbed India’s space mission in cooperation with other countries.” These comments were made during a discussion about sending India’s first astronaut to the International Space Station, which led to strong reactions from the opposition.
The Congress rejected the accusations as false and said that they were trying to divert attention from important issues. Although debates about funding and progress of the space program have been discussed before, Dubey’s claim of “sabotage” has made political tensions worse.
The ruling government highlights its role in supporting and leading the way for space missions in recent times; meanwhile, the opposition points to the earlier work of the previous governments, beginning with the formation of ISRO itself.
