Mamata Banerjee's 'Rakesh Roshan' gaffe while celebrating Chandrayaan-3. Viral video

Mamata Banerjee made a faux pas and said Rakesh Roshan instead of Rakesh Sharma while talking about Chandrayaan 3.

In a curious mix of lunar lore and political missteps, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inadvertently stirred up a storm and chuckle with her recent faux pas. At an event following the triumphant soft landing of ISRO's Chandrayaan 3 on the moon's south pole, the Trinamool Congress chief blurted out the wrong name on stage: "I remember when they reached the moon, Indira Gandhi asked Rakesh Roshan how India looked from there, for space," she said in Bengali.

The 68-year-old Opposition leader meant Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space but said Roshan instead – the actor and director of several Bollywood movies and Hrithik Roshan’s father. Banerjee didn't even seem to realise her gaffe and moved on speaking about Chandrayaan 3 thereafter.

She also said "whey they reached the moon" in another gaffe at the beginning of her comments that only went downhill. No Indians have landed on the moon so far; Sharma was the first to go to space.

Rakesh Sharma had famously replied to former prime minister Indira Gandhi's query about how India appeared from space with the patriotic words, "Saare jaahan se achcha." It was not Rakesh Roshan – whose only relation to space may be his movie “Koi… Mil Gaya”, where he played a scientist communicating with aliens.

Rakesh Roshan becomes the first actor-director to venture out into space..... Courtesy Mamata Banerjee.
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Sorry Rakesh Sharma pic.twitter.com/uwnGZCAxqx

— Keya Ghosh (@keyakahe) August 23, 2023

When asked about Chandrayaan 3's progress before its successful soft landing, Kumar's befuddlement led him to direct the question back to the accompanying minister who seemed to explain to the CM what the query was.

As the whole Bharat is excited for grand moment of  #Chandrayaan3Landing on Moon

Reporter- Sir today is historical day, India's #Chandrayaan3 is landing

CM Nitish - ( What !! ) pic.twitter.com/z9JXEUKiCE

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— Megh Updates  (@MeghUpdates) August 23, 2023

Another politician too seemed to be oblivious to the details about Chandrayaan 3 and thought it was a manned mission.

Rajasthan sports minister Ashok Chandna said: "Agar safe landing hui, to jo yatri gaye hain hamare unko salaam karta hu (If we are successful and make a safe landing, I salute the passengers),” he told reporters at an event in Rajasthan shortly before India made history as the first nation to successfully execute a soft landing near the moon’s south pole.

Read: ‘Salute passengers of Chandrayaan-3’: Rajasthan minister’s gaffe is viral

Coming back to Banerjee - she continued applauding ISRO scientists on the successful mission and later also posted a congratulatory tweet.

“Hail Chandrayaan-3! Hail its stupendous success!! Hail @isro!! Hail our nation's magnificent achievement in sending an exploration mission successfully to the Moon!! Our scientists have testified the country's scientific and technological progress. India is now in the super league of space. Sincere congratulations to all the proud architects and stakeholders of the expedition. Let us celebrate the majestic moment and pray for further advances of India in the frontier areas of knowledge and applications. Hail India, Jai Hind!” her tweet read.