Taking exception to the proposal to shift the Indian Human Space Flight programme of ISRO from Bengaluru to Gujarat, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take a delegation of MPs from the State to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to register protest.
“Kannadigas are shocked and severely hurt to know that there are plans to shift the prestigious programme to Gujarat. If it happens, Kannadigas will feel that the federal government is ignoring, betraying, and giving scant respect to the feeling of locals,” Mr. Shivakumar said in a letter to Mr. Bommai, which was released to the media on Sunday.
He pointed out: “Already there is outrage over the stepmotherly treatment being meted out to Karnataka by the Centre in several spheres. The move will cause adverse effects on consolidation of the federal system in the country.”
The KPCC president has also written to the Prime Minister, urging him to drop the proposal.
Launched in 2007 by ISRO, the Indian Human Space Flight programme is to develop technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low earth orbit. Mr. Shivakumar said: “If it is completed, India will become the fourth nation in the world to launch independent space flight. People of Karnataka are very proud of this programme.”
The KPCC president urged the Chief Minister to use his good offices to explain this to the Prime Minister. “Ensure that the proposal to shift the programme from Karnataka is dropped by the Centre and the self respect of Kannadigas is upheld,” said the letter.
