CNR raps govt over Isro row
‘They have literally thrown them out of the window like garbage’
Former Isro chief G Madhavan Nair and three fellow space scientists against whom the Centre has taken punitive action in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal were “thrown out like garbage,” a fuming Prof C N R Rao said here on Saturday.
The head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister threw his weight behind Nair, and slammed Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy for his stand on the Isro row.
“People who have served the country, served the organisation for long... you cannot throw them like garbage. That’s what they have done. They have literally thrown them out of the window like garbage,” Rao said, not trying to hide his outrage.
“They have not treated corrupt persons in politics, in public life, like that. Why only scientists have been picked up, ”asked Rao, also honorary president of Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
“Is this the way to treat anybody? Nobody will work for these (government) organisations if this is the way they are treated,” Rao, a renowned scientist, said.
Nair said he appreciated Rao and other scientists for their support to him and was happy they voiced their concern over the developments in public. “I really appreciate persons like Prof C N R Rao...they have understood the issue and I appreciate their concern,” he added.
Rao targeted Narayanasamy for his reported comments that the government decision was taken to send a strong message to the scientific community that no wrongdoing would be tolerated. The minister’s comments came while he defending the action against Nair and three others.
“Minister of State saying this will be lesson...warning to scientists...it’s not the way to talk about scientists. I don’t know where he (Narayanasamy) got his basic education. I am shocked by the way he was on TV and talking like this about scientists in general,” he said.
The Union government on Wednesday had barred Nair and three others from any re-employment for their alleged role in clearing the deal allocating scarce S-band space segment to private firm Devas.
In Mangalore, Prof U R Rao said the controversy over the Devas-Antrix deal would impact young scientists and reduce their self-confidence. The former chairman of Isro was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the fourth convention of Karnataka Science and Technology Academy, “It’s a big blow to the scientific community. At a time when we are heading for the Moon Mission, such an incident is unfortunate,” Prof Rao said.
