After Chandrayaan-3‘s successful soft landing on the moon’s South Pole, West Bengal Chief Minister and prominent opposition figure Mamata Banerjee inadvertently caused a buzz when she mistakenly attributed an anecdote involving astronaut Rakesh Sharma to Bollywood personality Rakesh Roshan.
During an event, Banerjee recounted a tale where she claimed Indira Gandhi had asked Rakesh Roshan about India’s appearance from the moon. The mix-up, however, revealed her confusion between Rakesh Sharma, who spoke with Indira Gandhi from space and famously responded “Sare jahan se accha,” and Rakesh Roshan, father of actor Hrithik Roshan.
“Rakesh Roshan” 🌝🌝🌝 pic.twitter.com/KCxcosFTiQ
— Political Kida (@PoliticalKida) August 23, 2023
The incident was shared widely, highlighting instances of political leaders’ lack of awareness regarding India’s significant space achievements. Other leaders, such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also faced criticism for similar gaffes related to Chandrayaan 3, but both Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee eventually expressed congratulations on the mission’s triumph.
