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Friday, March 29, 2019, 17:49
Indian test shoots down space satellite
By Manoj Chaurasia
Friday, March 29, 2019, 17:49 By Manoj Chaurasia

A man watches Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on a local news channel in New Delhi on March 27, 2019. India on March 27 destroyed a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test that puts the country in the space "super league", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. (PRAKASH SINGH / AFP)

India on Wednesday succeeded in an anti-satellite missile test by shooting down one of its satellites in space. The feat enabled the country to join the United States, Russia and China for achieving this distinction.

Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space in low-earth orbit. India has made an unprecedented achievement today

Narendra Modi,

Prime Minister, India

What has drawn everyone's attention, however, is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's TV address to the nation about this test, even though the model code of conduct restricts such political activity in the run-up to parliamentary elections.

"Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space in low-earth orbit. India has made an unprecedented achievement today," Modi said in a televised address on Wednesday. He didn't stop at that and even turned to Twitter to widely advertise his address, describing it as an "important message" and advising the public to "do watch the address on television, radio and social media".

This was only the second time in his five-year tenure that Modi had addressed the nation. The last time was in November 2016 when he had enforced demonetization of high-value currency notes.

READ MORE: India launches modern earth observation satellite

He added in the journey of every nation there are moments that bring utmost pride and have a historic impact on generations to come. 

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that any nations contemplating anti-satellite weapons tests like the one India carried out risk making a "mess" in space because of debris fields they can leave behind, Reuters reported.

Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the US military's Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched at one of its own satellites.

Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.

Modi's move assumes much political significance in the light of ongoing general elections where the Modi-led ruling Bhartiya Janata Party is caught in a contest with the opposition. Although the Congress party has failed to stitch an alliance with major parties in states, some local regional parties have formed an alliance against the ruling coalition and are giving the BJP a tough challenge.

Experts now say the BJP is trying hard to bring the tide in its favor in various ways. First it had tried to make use of national sentiment after the Pulwama air strike in Kashmir that killed at least 40 Indian soldiers.

Political expert DM Diwakar said the successful testing of anti-satellite missile was indeed a big achievement but as such the scientists from the concerned department, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, should have informed the nation.

He said the BJP and the PM, of late, used multiple tactics to win the support of the masses. “It raked up the Ram temple issue, organized conclave of saints, the PM himself took dip in the Ganges and also washed off the feet of the Dalits and even publicized Balakot act.” 

“The PM is desperate to somehow get the attention of the masses,” Diwakar added.

It remains yet to find out how much the latest idea will prove helpful for the BJP but the Election Commission has formed a panel to examine whether the PM’s address to the nation violated the model code of conduct.

The commission acted after various opposition parties brought the matter to its notice and urged to act against the PM. “Such a mission should normally be announced to the nation and to the world by the relevant scientific authorities; instead the PM has taken the route of an address to the nation in making this announcement, which is a clear violation of model code of conduct,” CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a letter to the poll panel.

Other top prominent opposition leaders, such as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal chief Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Samajawadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Singh Yadav, also hit out at the PM for promoting the scientific achievement as the achievement of the government.

ALSO READ: PM: India will send manned flight into space by 2022

TMC chief Banerjee said “today’s announcement is yet another limitless drama and publicity mongering by Modi desperately trying to reap political benefits at the time of election.” “This is a gross violation of Model Code of Conduct,” alleged Banerjee. 

“The Prime Minister is trying to do politics under the guise of the announcement,” BSP chief Mayawati said. “The Election Commission must take cognizance.”

The author is a freelance journalist for China Daily.

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