Lucknow Mayor proposes naming road, park after Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 18 (ANI): With Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla returning to India, his hometown Lucknow is gearing up to bestow honour on the astronaut for a successful mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
City Mayor Sushma Kharakwal said that the local administration has moved a proposal to name the road leading to his home and a park in the city after him.
"Shubhanshu Shukla has made the city and the country proud. We are fortunate that today, a person from Lucknow is known in the world. We have moved a proposal to name the road leading to his house and a park in the city after him. The day he arrives in Lucknow, all Councillors will welcome him at the airport. Lucknow is eagerly awaiting his arrival," Kharakwal told ANI.
Lok Sabha on Monday briefly took up discussion on India's First Astronaut Aboard the International Space Station - Critical Role of Space programme for 'Viksit Bharat By 2047'.
Speaker Om Birla congratulated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his achievements.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, spoke amid slogan shouting by opposition members over their demand for discussion on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar.
He hit out at the Opposition parties on Monday, calling it "surprising" that the opposition cannot even praise the country's achievements in space.
"The opposition has failed to congratulate the space experts and scientists for our space achievements. Your anger can be with the government. Your anger can be with the BJP and the NDA. But it is surprising that you can be angry with an astronaut. And that astronaut who, apart from being an astronaut, is also a disciplined soldier of the Indian Air Force. He does not belong to any political party," Jitendra Singh said in Lok Sabha amid sloganeering by the opposition MPs.
"You are angry with the earth, you are angry with the sky and today you seem to be angry with space as well," he added.
The Union Minister also referred to Operation Sindoor.
"Through Operation Sindoor, India's capability was shown, from the earth to the sky, the whole world recognised India. During Operation Sindoor, the role of space technology was also shown 10 years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power," he said.
"I have a belief that the role of the Department of Space and space technology during Operation Sindoor, the technology that was adopted, has also happened in the last 10 years, after the Modi government came to power. Why did our Space Department remain isolated for 60-70 years, and why did it work at a slow pace? When that question is answered, then we will understand that on 26 May 2014, the day Modi ji took charge as Prime Minister, a new chapter began, and this journey of space gained momentum and strength," he added.
Pointing out that the problem did not lie with talent, willingness of people to work, but with the political dispensation not making sound and harmonious policies, Jitendra Singh mentioned that such deadlocks and problems were resolved nearly 11 years ago, with the BJP-led NDA coming to power after 10 years of UPA governemnt.
"Another question will also be asked that it could be done before too, so why did it not happen? The answer might be that our country never lacked on scientists, there was capability, willingness, dreams and hopes in their hearts and eyes, willingness to work, but the deficiency was in harmony, which is defined through policy. If there was any lacking, then it was with political dispensation, that lacking was finished in 2014," he added.
Earlier today, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's recent mission to the International Space Station (ISS), highlighting its importance for India's human spaceflight ambitions.
"Since the Opposition are not participating in the special discussion, let me say how proud all Indians are of the recent mission of Commander Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS). It served as a stepping stone to our nation's own human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan," Tharoor said.
Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after completing NASA's Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, landed in the national capital in the early hours of Sunday.
Shukla was part of NASA's Axiom-4 Space Mission, which took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on June 25. He returned to Earth on July 15, splashing down off the coast of California. He became the first Indian in 41 years to travel to space. (ANI)