Sunita Williams should get Bharat Ratna: Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said astronaut Sunita Williams should be conferred with Bharat Ratna for the challenges she faced while spending nearly nine months in space.

Speaking at the Assembly, Banerjee congratulated the rescue team, praising their commendable efforts in bringing the astronauts back to Earth. "The Assembly would like to thank the team for rescuing Williams and another astronaut who were stranded in space for several months. I congratulate them, as well as Sunita Williams. I think she should be honoured with Bharat Ratna," Banerjee told the House.

The CM said she was closely monitoring the situation and was deeply concerned. "I'm interested in space science and was following the developments through various sources of information. I kept track of the situation daily and took regular updates," she said.

Earlier in a post on X, the CM described Williams as "daughter of India" and hailed the return of space explorers after being stranded for nearly nine months. "Welcome Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth, finally and safely, after so many days. Our daughter of India returns to us, and we are deeply, deeply happy and elated. We are profoundly happy for Butch Wilmore also. Hail their courage, hail their return, hail human glory!" Banerjee wrote in a post on X.

It was not just the CM but BJP legislators also celebrated the astronauts' return in the state assembly. The legislators gathered on the Assembly premises holding placards congratulating Williams. Party chief whip Shankar Ghosh led the group after the first half of the session ended.

Around 30 BJP legislators stood near the entrance, each holding a picture of Williams with the words ‘Abhinandan Sunita Williams' and ‘Bharater Kanya' (India's Daughter) written underneath. Ghosh said he requested Speaker Biman Banerjee to allow the Assembly to pass a unanimous resolution congratulating Williams.

The Speaker said any such move would be taken once the CM, the leader of the House, was present on the floor.