Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi blaming him for the failure of the Chandrayaan 2 mission to successfully land on the moon. Kumaraswamy said that PM Modi had brought bad luck with him to ISRO on the night of 7 September.
“PM came to Bengaluru to give a message that he himself was landing Chandrayaan 2, scientists worked hard for 10-12 yrs, he came just for sake of advertisement. Once he stepped in ISRO Centre, I think it became bad luck for scientists,” Kumaraswamy was quoted by ANI.
Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy in Mysuru: PM came to Bengaluru to give a message that he himself was landing Chandrayaan-2, scientists worked hard for 10-12 yrs, he came just for sake of advertisement. Once he stepped in ISRO Centre, I think it became bad luck for scientists. pic.twitter.com/nYXOHxqnpE
— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2019
PM Modi had returned from his trip to Russia in time to be with the scientists in Bengaluru to watch the landing of Chandrayaan 2. However, much to the disappointment of everyone, the ISRO scientists failed to establish a connection with the Vikram Lander when it was barely 2.2 kms away from the lunar surface.
A video of PM Modi comforting a distraught ISRO Chief Dr K Sivan had gone viral. However, many of Modi’s detractors had accused him of travelling to Bengaluru to hog media limelight.
The ISRO later claimed that the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter has located the Vikram Lander and that scientists were trying to establish contact with it.