A special discussion to acknowledge and hail the achievements of Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned to India on Sunday following his successful visit to the International Space Station (ISS) during a mission, was held in Lok Sabha today.
During his address, Union Minister Jitendra Singh rebuked the Congress-led Opposition for 'boycotting' the debate.
"You (Opposition) have failed to congratulate the space experts and scientists for our space achievements. Your anger can be with the government. Your anger can be with the BJP and the NDA. But it is surprising that you can be angry with an astronaut. And that astronaut who, apart from being an astronaut, is also a disciplined soldier of the Indian Air Force. He does not belong to any political party... You are angry with the earth, you are angry with the sky and today you seem to be angry with space as well," Singh said.
Earlier, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, shared this information on his official X handle.
“Our hero astronaut capt Subhanshu Shukla has returned home after a successful mission to International Space Station. Parliament will honour him with a special discussion on his historic milestone and India’s growing space ambitions in our journey towards,” he posted.
Shukla to meet PM Modi today
Indian astronaut Shukla is also slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s residence in New Delhi today. The meeting is likely to take place between 5 pm to 5:30 pm.
Earlier, PM Modi interacted with Shukla during the latter’s space mission on June 28. PM Modi stated that while it was a conversation between two individuals, it embodied the emotions and enthusiasm of 140 crore Indians.
He also enquired about Shubhanshu’s well-being and whether all was fine aboard the space station.
Shukla’s arrival in India
Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India early Sunday morning. Upon his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Shukla was received by Union MoS for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan.
Shukla’s alma mater to honour him in Lucknow
Shukla will return to his hometown in Lucknow after meeting PM Modi on August 25.
Lucknow’s City Montessori School (CMS), Shukla’s alma mater, has planned a grand celebration to honor him. The school has announced a "Grand Victory Parade" and will give Shukla a hero’s welcome. In an official statement, CMS invited residents to come out, wave flags and take part in the celebrations by lining the streets for the occasion.
