The BBC has come under fire once again after an old video surfaced on X where of one of its reporters was seen questioning India's need for an expensive space mission like Chandrayaan-3 when it already has issues like lack of infrastructure and "extreme poverty".
The British Broadcast Company (BBC) ran a news bulletin when the Chandrayaan-3 was launched into space with the objective of landing landing on the south pole of the Lunar surface.
But the news anchor only focussed on criticising India for spending so much money on a space mission when the country itself is struggling for basic necessities like public toilets among other things.
The video surfaced on X after Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander touched down on the Moon, making India the first country to land on the South Pole of the Lunar surface.
"Some people will be thinking about this. India, a country that lacks a lot of infrastructure, a country that has extreme poverty... I think more than 700 million Indians don't have access to a toilet, should they really be spending this much money on a space mission?" the anchor asked his panellist.
The short clip of the news bulletin has gone viral on social media with everyone criticising the BBC and the journalist for his controversial comments.
Netizens also slammed the journalist for questioning India at a time when the world is hailing its achievement in space.
The lander landed near the South Pole of the moon after travelling about 3.84 lakh km for over 40 days.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg) and a rover (26 kg).
After landing successfully, ISRO posted on X, "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: 'India, I reached my destination and you too!' :Chandrayaan-3".
The 19 minutes of suspense and excitement began at 5.45 p.m., as planned earlier, and ended at 6.05 p.m. with the lander touching down on the lunar soil.
Vikram Lander & Rover's Objectives
The mission will consist of a lander and a rover, designed to explore the surface and analyze its composition. The rover will carry scientific instruments to study the Moon's soil and gather data to enhance our knowledge of its mineral and elemental composition.
