Building blocks of ASAT test were laid during UPA-Cong Govt in 2012 : Surjewala

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala in a press conference congratulated the DRDO for the success of Mission Shakti saying building blocks of this were laid during UPA-Cong Govt in 2012.

New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India had joined an exclusive league of space powers by successfully testing an anti-satellite missile that shot down a low-Earth orbit satellite in a television broadcast, politicians from across party-lines congratulated the defence research body but attacked the government saying it was done to gain political points two weeks ahead of polls.

While addressing a press conference Congress national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala congratulated the DRDO for the success of Mission Shakti saying building blocks of this were laid during UPA-Cong Govt in 2012.

"Multiple times right from launching 'Prithvi' to intercontinental ballistic missile form Sriharikota our scientists have and will continue in future achieve this feat. Between 2000 to 2012 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists by a satellite of ours whose name I will not like to give now for security reasons, whereby we can now distinguish even one-meter long object in space, picture it and see to it that it does not in any manner threaten our national security." said Surjewala.

"Modi in last five years would have proceeded to comment, here is the same person who's trying to shutdown HAL which works in close tandem with DRDO in order to benefit his chronic industrialist friends so the comparison is out there to see." he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address on Wednesday informed the nation that an anti-satellite (ASAT) Indian missile has shot down a spy satellite as part of its space operation named "Mission Shakti".