Chandrayaan-3 landing: CM Mamata Banerjee's gaffe leads to filmmaker Rakesh Roshan trending on social media
India achieved a historic milestone on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, when its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon's south pole, becoming the first country to do so. The mission, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was hailed as a remarkable feat of science and technology by people from all walks of life, including politicians, celebrities, and common citizens.
However, one politician's congratulatory message went viral for the wrong reasons. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee made a blunder in her speech while praising ISRO and Chandrayaan-3. She mistakenly mentioned filmmaker Rakesh Roshan instead of astronaut Rakesh Sharma, who was the first Indian to travel to space in 1984.
Speaking at a public event in Kolkata shortly before the Chandrayaan-3 lander reached the moon, Banerjee said, "When Rakesh Roshan reached the moon, Indira Gandhi asked him how India looked from there. He said 'Saare jahan se achha Hindustan hamara' (Our India is better than the whole world)." She was referring to the famous incident when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked Rakesh Sharma how India looked from space and he replied with the patriotic song lyrics.
Banerjee's gaffe did not go unnoticed by the audience and the media, who quickly pointed out her error. The video of her speech also circulated widely on social media platforms, where netizens made fun of her mistake and created memes featuring Rakesh Roshan and his son Hrithik Roshan, who are both popular Bollywood actors and have starred in several sci-fi films such as Koi... Mil Gaya and Krrish.
Some of the memes showed Rakesh Roshan wearing a spacesuit or riding a rocket, while others showed Hrithik Roshan dancing on the moon or waving the Indian flag. Some also compared Banerjee's slip-up to former US President Donald Trump's infamous remark about "Nambia" instead of Namibia.
Banerjee's political rivals also seized the opportunity to mock her and question her knowledge and credibility. BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo tweeted, "Mamata Banerjee has once again proved that she is a 'gaffe machine'. She does not know the difference between Rakesh Sharma and Rakesh Roshan. She should stop making such embarrassing statements and focus on improving the condition of West Bengal."
Banerjee has not yet responded to the criticism or apologized for her gaffe. However, some of her supporters have defended her and claimed that she was misquoted or misunderstood by the media. They have also accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from the achievements of ISRO and Chandrayaan-3.
Meanwhile, Rakesh Roshan has not commented on his unexpected fame on social media. The veteran filmmaker is currently working on his next project, Krrish 4, which will be the fourth installment of his successful superhero franchise starring his son Hrithik Roshan. The film is expected to release in 2024.
Source:
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(3) Chandrayaan-3 latest updates: ISRO releases footage from Pragyan rover, Vikram lander, and more. https://www.businesstoday.in/visualstories/news/chandrayaan-3-latest-updates-isro-releases-footage-from-pragyan-rover-vikram-lander-and-more-58325-25-08-2023.
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(5) Chandrayaan-3 landing: India becomes the fourth country ever to land a .... https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/world/chandrayaan-3-lunar-landing-attempt-scn/index.html.
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