Congress hails ISRO launch, accuses Modi govt of seeking to alter agency
The Congress on Friday hailed ISRO for the successful launch of the country's first-ever imaging satellite in geo-orbit and accused the Modi government of undertaking a "radical role reconfiguration" that will "change the very character" of the Indian space agency.
The opposition party said the launch would also undoubtedly be a big morale booster to the space agency "since it has found itself under attack from various quarters".
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday made its way into history books yet again with the successful launch of the country's first ever imaging satellite in geo-orbit, placing the over 2,300 kg payload into a precise orbit using a GSLV rocket.
Friday's launch marked the space agency's maiden success for the year 2026.
In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Congratulations to the entire @isro team on the successful GSLV-F17/EOS-05 mission! EOS-05, India's first imaging satellite, from Geosynchronous orbit, will further strengthen our Earth Observation capabilities that we have been developing for years."
"We are immensely proud of our scientists, space engineers and researchers whose dedication and ingenuity continue to take India's space programme to greater heights," the Congress chief said.
The Congress party has always remained deeply committed to scientific temper and space research, he said.
"The makers of modern India laid the foundations of our space programme with vision and foresight, and generations of our scientists have built upon that legacy with remarkable achievements," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that after a relatively quiet period, ISRO successfully launched its GSLV rocket from Sriharikota early this morning to put an advanced Earth-imaging-satellite weighing 2367 kg into orbit.
"This is yet another landmark achievement and will add to the nation's strategic capabilities. It will also undoubtedly be a big morale booster to ISRO since it has found itself under attack from various quarters," Ramesh said on X.
"The entire nation should salute ISRO's deep resilience and wish it all success in coming endeavours, whatever those may be, under the radical role reconfiguration taking place at the instance of the PMO that will change the very character of this inspirational public institution that has done the country proud for decades in the face of tremendous odds," the Congress leader said on X.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra congratulated the brilliant team at ISRO on the successful GSLV-F17/EOS-05 mission.
"Your remarkable work and dedication continue to take India's space journey to new heights. A proud moment for every Indian! Jai Hind," she said.
The EOS-05 satellite was successfully placed in the intended sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit, about 18 minutes after it lifted off from the spaceport Sriharikota.
The Congress last month had accused the Modi government of "strangulating and emasculating" ISRO and slammed it for pursuing an "aggressive privatisation agenda" for the space programme.
Ramesh had said there have been news reports in the past couple of days on ISRO's future role in our country's space programme.
"This has raised legitimate concerns given its capacities, capabilities, and competencies built up so methodically and painstakingly over the past six decades thanks to the vision, dedication, and leadership of Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, Brahm Prakash, UR Rao, APJ Abdul Kalam, and so many other distinguished scientists and technologists," Ramesh had said on X.
ISRO was founded in 1969, with Sarabhai, instrumental in its conception, as its first chairman.
Ramesh had claimed that the Modi government has an "aggressive privatisation agenda" for the space programme just as it had for nuclear energy.
