Rajnath Singh blasts oppn for causing ruckus during discussion on Shubhanshu Shukla: 'Extremely disappointing'

Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hit out at the opposition for creating uproar in the Lok Sabha during a special discussion on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic space mission.

Singh said the opposition’s behaviour was “extremely unfortunate” and a disservice to India’s scientific achievements.

"Today, during a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on the journey of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force and ISRO mission pilot to the International Space Station (ISS) and his subsequent return, the manner in which the opposition created a ruckus in the House and did not allow it to function is extremely unfortunate ... the way the opposition obstructed it, their behaviour today was extremely disappointing,” he wrote on X, adding that the discussion should have been an occasion for constructive suggestions and bipartisan support.

“Under the leadership of PM Modi, the unprecedented heights India is reaching in space exploration are remarkable. Topics like space, which are extremely important for India’s scientific and strategic vision in the 21st century, should at least be kept above partisan politics,” Singh said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju too had earlier appealed to Opposition members to join the discussion, calling Shukla a “hero astronaut” and urging MPs to celebrate his achievement in the same spirit as the debate on Operation Sindoor.

The government had proposed a special discussion on the theme: ‘India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station — Critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047’.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became only the second Indian after Rakesh Sharma to travel to space. He was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the International Space Station on June 26.

Shukla returned to Earth on July 15 after a three-week stay on the ISS, marking a milestone in India’s growing space ambitions and ISRO’s expanding global role.