Chandrayaan-3 : India’s Moon landing triumph tainted by political blunders

As India basks in the glory of its historic achievement—landing Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole—West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s embarrassing faux pas has become the talk of the town. Speaking at an event in Kolkata right before the monumental Chandrayaan-3 landing, Mamata Banerjee confused astronaut Rakesh Sharma with Bollywood actor Rakesh Roshan. Her gaffe went viral on social media, triggering a meme storm and making her the subject of widespread ridicule.

Mamata Banerjee’s Bollywood Blunder Goes Viral

How Mamata Banerjee Confused a Space Hero with a Bollywood Star During Chandrayaan-3’s Epic Landing

“On behalf of the people of West Bengal, I send my advance congratulations to ISRO. Scientists must get credit. Credit must go to the country. When Rakesh Roshan [sic] landed on the moon, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked him how India looked from there,” Mamata Banerjee misspoke. The Chief Minister’s statement quickly gained traction online, where thousands of memes erupted at her expense. She confused Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space in 1984, with film star Rakesh Roshan—a slip that could haunt her for years to come.

You won’t believe what these politicians said during India’s historic moon landing. Photo courtesy of Chief Minister’s Office, Government of West Bengal/Wikimedia Commons.

A Blast from the Past: What Actually Happened

Rakesh Sharma vs Rakesh Roshan: The True Story of India’s First Astronaut and His Iconic Exchange with Indira Gandhi

For context, Indian Air Force pilot Rakesh Sharma became India’s first citizen in space as part of the Soviet Union’s Soyuz T-11 mission. He spoke with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during a live televised conference. When asked how India looked from space, he famously replied, “Saare jahaan se achcha” (Better than the whole world). Banerjee’s blunder made a mockery of this significant piece of India’s space history.

A Nationwide Epidemic of Political Goofs

It Wasn’t Just Mamata Banerjee: Another Politician Makes a Chandrayaan-3 Blunder That You Have to Hear to Believe

Astoundingly, Mamata Banerjee wasn’t the lone politician to stumble during this historic moment. Across the country in Rajasthan, Sports Minister Ashok Chandna bizarrely congratulated the “passengers” of the Chandrayaan-3 mission—overlooking the obvious fact that it was an unmanned mission. His words, quoted by PTI, were, “If we are successful and make a safe landing, I salute the passengers. Our country has taken a step further in science and space research. I congratulate the countrymen for this.”

The Real Chandrayaan-3 Triumph Overshadowed

While Politicians Fumbled, India Scored: The Real Story of Chandrayaan-3’s Historic Moon Landing

In the midst of these comical missteps, it’s essential to remember the real triumph here—India made history by landing a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, an area believed to contain water ice. The Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan will now explore the lunar surface for the next 14 days, sending invaluable data back to Earth.

While India’s space prowess reached new heights, the blunders of politicians added an unfortunate layer of comedy to an otherwise monumental achievement. As the Chandrayaan-3 mission continues its groundbreaking work, the Indian public will likely not forget the ludicrous mistakes made by those who should know better.