Ex-ISROscientist Nambi Narayanan said the previous government didn't allocate enough funds to ISRO

Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan said that the previous Congress government did not have faith in India's space agency for a long time.

Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist Nambi Narayanan said that the previous Congress government didn't allocate enough funds to the Indian space agency in its formative years as, he said, the government had "no faith" in ISRO.

A video of Nambi Narayanan speaking about ISRO during its initial days is going viral on social media. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared the video of the former scientist speaking to The New Indian about funds allocated to ISRO in the past.

The government only provided funding to the space agency after ISRO established its credibility, said Narayanan.

"We didn't have a jeep. We didn't have a car. We didn't have anything. So that means, we didn't have any budget allocation. That was in the beginning," he said.

"The budget was not for the asking, it was given. I wouldn't complain about it but they (government) didn't have any faith in you (ISRO)," he added.

Nambi Narayanan On PM Modi

Responding to the Opposition saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took credit for the historic Moon landing, Nambi Narayanan said that for a national project such as Chandrayaan-3, who else could be credited if not the Prime Minister.

"When you go into a national project, who else can be credited? It is the Prime Minister. You may not like the Prime Minister. That is your problem," Nambi Narayanan said.

The ex-ISRO scientist was also asked if there was any truth to the claims that space scientists were not receiving their salaries on time.

Nambi Narayanan said that there was no delay in crediting salaries or pensions, saying that he gets his pension on the 29th of every month.

BJP Vs Congress On Chandrayaan-3

BJP leader Amit Malviya shared clips from the interview on X and said that Prime Minister Modi has ensured increased budgets for India's space missions.

"From then to now...when Prime Minister Modi has ensured increased budgets and stands with our scientists, in their success and failures, India’s space missions have come a long way," he wrote.

After Chandrayaan-3's successful landing on the Moon on August 23, the Congress had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "hogging the limelight" in reference to his address after the landing.

"You were quick to come on screen and take credit after the landing, but why has your government failed so terribly in supporting the scientists and the ISRO?," Congress leader KC Venugopal had written in a post on X.