Why no opportunity for Dalits? Cong leader stokes row over Shukla’s space sojourn

New Delhi, July 15 Even as the Indian astronaut and IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth after spending a fortnight in the International Space Station (ISS), a political fight has begun back home over his caste identity.

The controversy stemmed from Congress leader Udit Raj’s remarks as he questioned the government’s ‘preference and partisan’ approach in picking astronauts from certain communities and depriving Dalits of a similar opportunity.

Former Parliamentarian Udit Raj, speaking to IANS lauded Shubhanshu Shukla’s milestone achievements and hoped that this will serve humanity at large but then claimed that people from backward communities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribess were being denied a similar opportunity.

“When Rakesh Sharma was sent for the first time, there weren’t many educated people from SC/ST/OBC communities. But this time, someone could have been sent from these communities. There was no exam for this; it was purely a government selection. A person from the OBC/SC/ST community could have been given the opportunity this time, instead of Shukla," he told IANS.

Udit Raj, himself a Dalit leader, also wished for the safe return of the space shuttle but his controversial statement triggered backlash from many quarters, including from within the Congress.

Manoj Kumar, Congress MP from Bihar cautioned against politicisation of issues of national and strategic importance.

“There may be a genuine concern for the uplift of backward communities but using Shubhanshu Shukla’s achievements for politics is not right at this time,” he said.

BJP leader Ram Kadam countered the Congress leader’s comments by stating that such challenging assignments require intellectual ability and professional acumen and caste has no role to play in such space programs.

“He is well aware that caste or religion has no role in such appointments. This may just be a publicity stunt or an attempt to influence Bihar elections by giving a casteist colour to the issue,” Kadam remarked.

Meanwhile, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts on the Axiom-4 Mission, is set for a splashdown in the Pacific off the Southern California coast today. The splashdown off the coast of California, US, is expected to be 3 PM IST today.

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