Bengaluru, Nov 29 Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar has shot off letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai opposing the proposed shifting of Indian Human Space Flight Programme of ISRO from Bengaluru to Gujarat.
He also raised questions on ISRO being privatised.
Seeking public opinion, Shivakumar has asked people to air their views on social media platforms.
Initiated in 2007 by ISRO, the Indian Human Space Flight Programme seeks to develop the technology needed to launch crewed orbital space-craft into low earth orbit. It is responsible for implementation of the "Gaganyan" project, he said.
The agency has also planned first flight on a home grown GSLV-in Rocket. If completed on schedule, India will become fourth nation in the world to launch independent space-flight after the US, Soviet Union and China. It is a prestigious and epoch making project. The people of Karnataka are very very proud of this project, he explained.
"You are aware people of Karnataka are very emotional and get attached to national programmes and feel proud when the state hosts such programmes," he noted.
The Kannadigas are severely hurt and shocked to know that there are plans to shift this prestigious programme to Gujarat. If it happens, the Kannadigas will feel that the federal government is ignoring, betraying and giving scant respect to the feelings of local people, he said.
Already there is an outrage over step motherly treatment being meeted out to Karnataka by union government in several spheres. The move will cause adverse effects on consolidation of the federal system in the nation, he maintained.
He demanded that the proposal of shifting the programme from Karnataka to Gujarat be dropped.
Meanwhile, allaying fears of privatisation of ISRO, Chief Minister Bommai said: "It is not a company, it's an institution, there is no question of privatisation." he stated.
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