PM Modi meets ISRO scientists responsible for Chandrayaan-3’s moon mission in Bengaluru, lauds ‘historic feat’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bengaluru early this morning and met the team of ISRO scientists behind the successful Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission.

Addressing his supporters who had gathered at HAL airport to welcome him, the PM hailed the “historic feat” achieved by the country’s scientific community. “I could not come earlier as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists on arrival in India,” PM Modi said.

Following the BRICS summit in South Africa and a maiden visit to Greece, PM Modi arrived at the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru to greet the scientists behind the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission.

He was received at ISTRAC by ISRO chief S Somanath and other scientists.

Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional @isro scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nation’s achievements in the space sector.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 26, 2023

Soon after landing in the IT city, the Prime Minister addressed a gathering before departing for ISTRAC.

“Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan,” the PM said. “Not only Indians but people across the globe who believe in science are filled with enthusiasm. I decided that on my return to India, I will go to Bengaluru and pay tribute to the scientists behind Chandrayaan-3’s success.”

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thawarchand Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were not present with the Prime Minister on stage. The PM said that he had requested the Karnataka leaders to not go through the trouble of waking up very early in the morning to receive him.

“As I did not know when I will reach Bengaluru, I requested the Chief Minister, Governor, and Deputy Chief Minister not to take the trouble so early,” PM Modi said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister had called the ISRO scientists responsible for Chandrayaan-3’s success “exceptional” and said that he was looking forward to interacting with them.

“Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional ISRO scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nation's achievements in the space sector,” the PM had written on social media ahead of his visit.

On Wednesday, PM Modi virtually witnessed the successful lunar landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module from Johannesburg where he was attending the BRICS summit.