Pune: Maharashtra minister Girish Bapat on Wednesday congratulated DRDO scientists for shooting down a satellite “which was keeping a watch on India”. Apparently, Bapat, the BJP’s candidate for Pune Lok Sabha seat, did not realise that it was a test of an anti-satellite missile and India had shot down one of its own low-orbit satellites.
“India, using anti-satellite missile, successfully shot down a live satellite at 300 km from earth in outer space, which was keeping a watch on India,” he tweeted in Marathi. He congratulated Defence Research and Development Organisation’s scientists for the success of ‘Mission Shakti’.
After the post came in for trolling, the minister’s social media team deleted it. According to DRDO, a Ballistic Missile Defence Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit in a ‘Hit to Kill’ mode. PM Narendra Modi announced success of the test in a nation-wide broadcast.
