- Shashi Tharoor appeared to criticize the Congress for skipping a Parliament discussion on astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla.
- He praised Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission, calling it crucial for India’s Gaganyaan space program.
- The opposition boycotted the discussion in protest of the Bihar voter row.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 18th Aug: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor appeared to take a jab at his own party on Monday for its decision to skip a special discussion in Parliament on Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s recent Axiom-4 spaceflight.
In a series of posts on X, Tharoor expressed pride in Commander Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to the International Space Station (ISS), calling it a “stepping stone” for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. He highlighted that Shukla’s mission provided ISRO with invaluable hands-on experience and data crucial for refining the Gaganyaan mission. He also noted the mission’s role as a symbol of India’s ambitions and its willingness to engage in global space diplomacy.
Tharoor’s posts, including a retweet of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s post about the special discussion, came as the opposition boycotted the session to protest the Bihar voter row. The Congress-led opposition has alleged voter fraud and ‘collusion’ between the Election Commission and the ruling BJP. The Election Commission has repeatedly denied the charges.
The incident further highlights the potential crossroads in Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress, which has been uncertain since he joined a group of ‘dissenters’ in 2021. The party has expressed unease over his recent positive comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor, however, has denied any talk of switching to the BJP, stating that he has been loyal to the Congress and its ideology for 16 years.
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