Congress slams move to shift ISRO programme from Bengaluru to Gujarat

BENGALURU: Congress leaders on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) office in the city demanding that the space agency drop the proposal to shift the Indian Human Space Flight Programme to Gujarat from Bengaluru.

KPCC president DK Shivakumar urged all parties and organisations, including Kannada forums, to join the protest against the proposal. Shivakumar had earlier written to PM Narendra Modi and CM Basavaraj Bommai in this regard.

“Karnataka is not just the IT hub, but it is also a technology hub and ISRO is headquartered here. They are now shifting the Human Space Flight Programme to Gujarat,” Shivakumar said. After the Congress opposed the move, ISRO Chairman K Sivan is defending the government, he said.

Shivakumar said he has “some internal information” about the project and said they should not shift it from Bengaluru. He said Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from the BJP should meet Modi and ensure that the project remains in Karnataka. Shivakumar also warned the government that they will launch agitations across the state if the proposal is not dropped. 

“If it happens (the proposal materialises), the Kannadigas will feel that the Central Government is ignoring, betraying and giving scant respect to the feelings of the local people,” Shivakumar had stated in his letter to the CM.