In just three minutes, India's Shakti in the form of an anti-satellite weapon intercepted an Indian satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 300 km and destroyed it. A proud nation would have rejoiced in DRDO having this kind of hi-tech offensive capability that can safeguard the country's assets in space. The top secret mission was spot-on and the technology was all indigenous and developed in the Missile Complex and Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad. In showcasing such a capability India has joined an elite club in the Star Wars league and the pioneering nations in space cannot ignore us and make discriminatory laws on arms limitation in space.
It was in his theatrical presentation of the news during poll season on a special television and social media announcements including tantalising teaser-trailer that Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced a lot of flak. And not only from the Opposition which will object even if the government so much as swats a fly when pre-poll model code of conduct is in force. Analysts were interpreting this as a display of a touch of poll desperation in the ruling camp. All that the loud political crosstalk on the issue did was to detract from the achievement of Indian scientists who have once achieved something spectacular in space much like ISRO's Mangalyaan on a shoestring budget. The point is Indians will squabble over everything.
Chowkidar Amit Shah@AmitShah
Thus speaks the inheritor of the dynasty that thinks - All the nation's a stage! For them: Sacrifices of soldiers - drama Success of scientists - drama Masquerading as leaders, all that 'The Dynasty' has done is to plunder, weaken and ruin the nation
Akhilesh Yadav @yadavakhilesh
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
Abshar| #NYAYforIndia @Scepticindian
Modiji claims credit for destroying a satellite built and launched during congress government by ISRO which was formed during congress govt with a rocket which was built during congress government by DRDO which was formed during congress govt. Aur 70 saal main kuch Nahi hua
Mamata Banerjee@MamataOfficial
There is no great urgency in conducting and announcing the mission now by a government past its expiry date. It seems a desperate
oxygen to save the imminent sinking of the BJP boat. We are lodging a
complaint with the Election Commission. 4/4
Sanghamitra @AudaciousQuest
Look at the irony!! For 5 years he abused Pandit Nehru and his legacy. And today he has got nothing of his own achievement and he is begging for votes on Nehru's vision, so that he could abuse him for 5 more years.#MissionShakti
Shekhar Gupta @ShekharGupta
While a successful A-SAT launch is a bold strategic move, PM making such a big deal of it personally shows a poll-eve desperation we hadn't yet detected/suspected. It's just a frantic new national security headline as Balakot has faded in a month
