'ISRO spirit' in country, moon mission has united India: PM Modi
Rohtak: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said an "ISRO spirit" has gripped the country, which has been united by the moon mission Chandrayaan-2, and the nation now looks beyond success and failure.
He was addressing the BJP's 'Vijay Sankalp' rally here, kicking off the party's campaign for the assembly elections in Haryana, scheduled in October.
"On the night of September 7, 100 seconds after 1.50 am an incident awakened and united the entire country. Like (there is) a sportsman spirit, an ISRO spirit is running in the country. Countrymen are not ready to accept negativity," Modi said.
Recalling the early of hours of Saturday, when Chandrayaan-2's lander was scheduled to make a soft landing on the moon but suffered a setback, the prime minister said at 1.50 am, the entire country was sitting in front of television screens to watch the good news of Chandrayaan-2.
"In those 100 seconds whatever the country did, it reflected the mettle of 125 crore countrymen," said Modi, who had flown to Bengaluru to watch the planned touchdown of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) lander 'Vikram'.
India's mission to soft-land on the moon suffered a setback, with 'Vikram' losing communication with ground stations, just 2.1 km from the lunar surface during its final descent. However, Sunday the ISRO said Vikram has been located on the lunar surface and it must have been a hard-landing,
"The country, which has the strength to live for its resolutions, imbibes the ISRO spirit," Modi said, adding that "the 100 seconds showed the entire country what is the power of hope and belief, and what is determination and capacity."
He said only that country is able to fulfil its dream which lives beyond the limits of successes and failures. The country changed the definition of success and failure in those 100 seconds, Modi said.
"Now, the country prays for courage and valour. The country is moving ahead with a faith in change," he said.
The people of India are lucky that there is a energy and a feeling in the country which "will fulfil our resolve", the prime minister said.
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TN CM Vijay calls fuel price hike ‘unacceptable’, seeks rollback
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday slammed the increase of Rs 3 per litre in petrol and diesel prices, calling it "unacceptable", and demanded its immediate rollback, claiming the revision would affect various sections of society.
He said oil marketing companies do not reduce prices in line with global crude price trends and "take the profits".
"Union government oil marketing companies have increased the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre. This is not acceptable," Vijay said in a statement.
The hike has been effected after the "five-state polls" (four states and one union territory), he added.
This price rise will largely affect the income of the poor and middle class using two-wheelers and small vehicles, as well as others dependent on vehicles for their livelihood, the CM said.
It will ultimately result in an increase in the prices of daily commodities and also "affect the purchasing power of the poor," he added.
Citing the chain effect of the price revision, such as increased input costs for small units, he said it could lead to a "slowdown" in the market and exports.
"Therefore, I urge the union government to immediately roll back the price hike that will affect the poor and middle-class people and SMEs," Vijay added.
Global crude oil prices have surged more than 50 per cent since US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation, which disrupted energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil shipments.
Petrol and diesel prices are now at their highest level since May 2022.
