BJP MLA writes to K’taka minister seeking clarification from Kannada lecturer for mocking Chandrayaan-3 mission

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 19 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Suresh Kumar, has written to Karnataka education minister, Madhubangrappa, demanding a clarification from a Kannada lecturer for allegedly mocking the launch of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.

In the letter, dated July 17, the BJP MLA said that Hulikunte Murthy, a Kannada lecturer at Malleswaram Government Pre-Graduate College showed “unhealthy” behaviour by posting against India’s ambitious third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3.
Murthy tweeted in Kannada allegedly claiming that “Chandrayaan-3 will be a failure…” Using the ‘Tirupati nama’ phrase, he allegedly said that the moon mission will fail this time around as well. It can be recalled that a team of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists offered prayers at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the Chandrayaan-3 launch.

Taking note of this, the BJP MLA in his letter said, how a person like him can motivate students.

“While the entire country wishes and prays for the success of Chandrayaan-3, Hulikunte Murthy has shown unhealthy behaviour by posting on social media that ‘this time also Chandrayaan gone case’ (e salavu chandrayan -3 tirupati naama ansatte) is being said,” it read.

“He has shown his freedom of expression in this way. How can such a person motivate our students? I request you to check on him and warn and warn them not to repeat this kind of irresponsible behaviour by this lecturer,” the letter said further.

On July 14, Chandrayan-3 lifted off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota at the scheduled launch time.

The journey from Earth to the moon for the spacecraft is estimated to take about a month and the landing is expected on August 23.

Upon landing, it will operate for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth.