'When Indira Gandhi went to Moon...': West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s latest goof-up invites heavy trolling

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, once again found herself at the centre of online mockery just days after mistakenly referring to Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma as actor Rakesh Roshan. This time, she made a statement asserting that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had visited the moon.

During an address on Monday, Mamata Banerjee recalled India's inaugural space voyage under Indira Gandhi's leadership. She recounted, "When Indira Gandhi reached the Moon, she asked Rakesh how Hindustan (India) appeared from there. He responded, 'Saare jahaan se achcha' (Better than the entire world)."

This remark was made by Mamata Banerjee while speaking at a rally commemorating the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) Foundation Day in 2023. The video capturing this statement has gained considerable traction on social media platforms.

Prior to this, Mamata Banerjee had faced criticism for mistakenly referring to Rakesh Sharma as Rakesh Roshan while applauding the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14 and represents a continuation of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which experienced difficulties due to a software malfunction halfway through. During the Chandrayaan-2 mission, the Vikram lander lost communication with Earth-based mission control while at an altitude of 2.1 kilometers above the moon's surface.

However, on August 23, a historic milestone was achieved as ISRO's ambitious third lunar mission successfully touched down at the Moon's south pole. The Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover have surpassed half of their anticipated lifespan on the lunar surface. ISRO has shared numerous videos and photographs captured during their mission. Although these devices are designed to function for one lunar day (equivalent to 14 Earth days) when the sun is visible, mechanisms are in place to reactivate them after the extended lunar night once the sun rises again.

In the wake of Chandrayaan-3's success, congratulatory messages poured in from around the world, reaffirming India's stature in the realm of space exploration.