Rahul was in school during Operation Bluestar: Punjab CM
Chandigarh, Aug 26 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday lashed out at Akali President Sukhbir Singh Badal for what he said was the unwarranted and uncalled for attack on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on the issue of the 1984 riots.
Castigating the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President for his statement that Rahul Gandhi was a 'partner' in the crime, the Chief Minister said Gandhi was in school at the time of Operation Bluestar.
To blame him for anything was absurd, Amarinder Singh said in a statement here.
To hold Rahul Gandhi responsible for an act which he was not even aware of at the time it happened was ridiculous, said the Chief Minister.
The Congress, as a party, was never involved in the riots that continue to haunt the Sikh community.
He said if any individual was involved, he or she would be dealt with as per the law.
"To blame the entire party for the acts of a few was preposterous and typical of the political immaturity of Sukhbir Singh," the Chief Minister said.
Amarinder Singh said Rahul Gandhi's latest comments need to be seen in context with his earlier statements on the 1984 riots, wherein he himself had named some Congressmen.
The Chief Minister said Rahul Gandhi had condemned all violence, including the 1984 riots, and called for strict punishment to the guilty.
"It is unfortunate that due to delays caused by the judicial system, justice had been denied to many victims of the 1984 riots," Amarinder Singh added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Indian startup's 'Drishti' satellite launched aboard SpaceX rocket
New Delhi (PTI): Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye's Mission Drishti satellite was launched on Sunday aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from California.
Mission Drishti is the world's first OptoSAR satellite, integrating electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform, according to the company.
While EO sensors capture high-resolution images during sunlight and clear skies, SAR sensors provide all-weather and all-time images, using radar pulses.
In a statement, Suyash Singh, founder and CEO of GalaxEye, said, "With the satellite (Mission Drishti) now successfully in orbit, our immediate focus is on completing its commissioning. As we move through this phase, we are already witnessing strong global interest in the differentiated datasets enabled by our OptoSAR payload."
The satellite will help address long-standing limitations of conventional systems and enable more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions, the company said.
As a dual-use Earth observation satellite, the mission will support use cases across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning.
The satellite is also expected to complement India's broader initiatives, including the 29 active Earth Observation satellites outlined in ISRO's recent annual report.
The launch came after five years of indigenous research and development, and extensive environmental testing and performance validation of the Mission Drishti.
In a statement, Lt Gen AK Bhatt (Retd), director general of Indian Space Association (ISpA), said, "GalaxEye has achieved what only a few global players have, which is seamlessly combining optical and SAR capabilities on a single platform to enable persistent, all-weather intelligence."
What stands out is not just the technology, but its broader impact on how downstream applications will increasingly define value in the space economy, particularly in Earth observation, where timely, decision-grade insights are critical," he added.
ISpA is the premier industry association of space and satellite companies in the country.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also took note of the Mission Drishti launch, saying the development marked a significant milestone in India's space journey.
In a post on X, the minister said, "The successful launch of the world's first OptoSAR satellite, and the largest privately-built satellite in the country, reflects the immense potential of our young innovators driving nation-building."
GalaxEye aims to scale up Mission Drishti to a constellation of 10 satellites by 2030, developing a robust and sovereign Earth observation infrastructure for India.
