'Hanuman ji first to travel to space': Anurag Thakur’s interaction with students sparks row; DMK says 'science is not mythology'

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Anurag Thakur, during an interaction with school children on National Space Day, asked “who was the first person to travel to space.” When the students answered “Neil Armstrong,” Thakur responded, “I think Hanuman ji was the first person to travel to space.” The exchange has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, with the DMK accusing him of “confusing fact with fable.”While interacting with students at Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Una, Himachal Pradesh, on National Space Day, Thakur argued that knowledge traditions should extend beyond what he described as “textbooks given to us by the British.” He urged teachers to look towards “our veds, our textbooks and our knowledge,” saying this would allow students to see “a lot more.”The remark triggered an immediate backlash from the DMK. Party MP Kanimozhi, in a post on X, said: “A member of parliament and former union minister asking school children who first set foot on the moon, and insisting that it was not Neil Armstrong but Hanuman, is deeply troubling. Science is not mythology. To mislead young minds in classrooms is an insult to knowledge, reason, and the spirit of scientific temper enshrined in our Constitution. India’s future lies in nurturing curiosity, not confusing fact with fable.”At the same event, Thakur highlighted India’s recent achievements in the space sector, noting the Chandrayaan-3 success in 2023 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in supporting scientists. He said India is aiming to set up its own space station by 2035 and achieve a crewed lunar landing by 2040.He also pointed to India’s growing space economy, the development of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, and milestones such as launching 104 satellites in one flight and the successful testing of the reusable launch vehicle. “Earlier we had to seek help from foreign countries to launch our satellites, but now foreign nations seek help from us,” Thakur told students.The occasion marked the second National Space Day, commemorating India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission. This year’s theme, “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities,” linked India’s ancient astronomical traditions with modern space ambitions.Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space in 1961, while American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the Moon in 1969.