Padma Mohanty
New Delhi: In an address to the nation, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India has destroyed a live low-orbiting (LLO) satellite with an Anti-Satellite Missile. PM said that India is the fourth country to have successfully tested such an anti-satellite weapon after the US, Russia and China, which he calls as “Mission Shakti”.
PM Modi had earlier tweeted that he will be addressing the nation shortly with what he called a “very important message”. On Twitter, the Prime Minister said, “I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM – 12.00 noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media.”
[bctt tweet=”Support DRDO ,ISRO and PM MODI ? Share on twitter”]While addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said India’s action is not intended against any country. Shooting down a low earth orbit satellite is a rare achievement for the country. The satellite was orbiting at an altitude of 300 km, describing India as a space power. Mission Shakti, which was led by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), is done to strengthen India’s overall security.
Tweet Of Narendra Modi
Mission Shakti is the test of India’s anti-satellite weapon. Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are created to destroy or disable satellites. There are many countries which have this capability, but only four countries including India have shown their ASAT capabilities.
Top Highlights From Political Ground and Development
- India has now got its name as one of the elite space power. An anti-satellite weapon A-SAT, successfully targeted a live satellite on a low earth orbit.
- “This is a big moment for India, we all should be proud of this. We are not just capable to defend on land, water and air, but now also in space. I congratulate all scientists who have made this possible and made India a much stronger nation,” PM Modi said in his address to the nation.
- “Mission Shakti” was an important step towards securing India’s safety, economic growth and technological advancement said the PM. This has not been used by any country so far.
- The opposition parties have denounced the announcement in the middle of the campaign for next month’s national election, when a code of conduct has already been there.
- Some parties have appealed to the Election Commission, but sources in the top poll body have said that “no need to take permission of poll panel for security related issues being announced.”
- Lot of tweets by ministers and other top leaders of the ruling BJP, with the hashtag “NamumkinAbMumkinHai”, disturbed the opposition. They questioned the timing of the PM’s announcement, whether it was necessary for him to make the announcement instead of the country’s top space scientists.
- Samajwadi party Akhilesh Yadav tweeted: “Today @narendramodi got himself an hour of free TV & divert nation’s attention away from issues on ground – #Unemployment #RuralCrisis & #WomensSecurity – by pointing at the sky. Congratulations @drdo_india & @isro – this success belongs to you. Thank you for making India safer.”
- Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Well done DRDO, extremely proud of your work. I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day. “
