Prakash Raj calls Chandrayaan-3 landing on Moon 'proud moment' after social media criticism
Bengaluru, Aug 23: Days after Prakash Raj was criticised for his social media post on Chandrayaan-3, the actor on Wednesday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation for charting history as India's third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 landed on the lunar surface.
Raj was trolled on Monday for his post on X, formerly Twitter, viewed by many as mocking Chandrayaan-3. He later responded to the backlash by saying, "hate sees only hate" and that he was referring to an old joke.
In his latest tweet, the 58-year-old actor said the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's uncharted south pole was a moment of celebration for mankind.
ALSO READ: Karnataka: New number plates mandatory for all vehicles registered before April 2019; Details here
"INDIA.. PROUD MOMENTS OF MANKIND .. THANKS #ISRO #Chandrayaan3 #VikramLander AND TO ALL WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE .. LET THIS BE THE WAY TO EXPLORE MORE WONDERS OF THE WIDE WORLD .. CELEBRATE .. #justasking," Raj wrote in Kannada on the microblogging site.
But social media users further called out the actor for trying to change tack.
"You have already caused the damage. Don't try to sugarcoat. Tables have turned..." said one user on X.
Another criticised Raj, known to be vocal against the government, for being a turncoat.
"2 din m Party badal liye (sic)" read the post.
"Congratulations to you too. Our chaiwala and our scientists have created history today and have given a message to all the haters. This is the #newindia that turns all curses and jokes into boons!" said another in a tweet.
On Sunday, the multiple National Award winner shared a cartoon showing a man in a shirt and sarong pouring tea. He captioned the cartoon in Kannada, writing, "Latest news: First view just arrived from the Chandrayaan #VikramLander #justasking".
While Raj did not specify the man in the cartoon, many social media users slammed the actor for making fun of former ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) chief K Sivan.
The actor later issued a clarification saying that his earlier tweet was referring to an old joke from the era of Neil Armstrong, the American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969.
"Hate sees only Hate... i was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times.. celebrating our Kerala Chaiwala.. which Chaiwala did the TROLLS see?? .. if you don't get a joke then the joke is on you.. Grow up #justasking(sic)," Raj had tweeted.
India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole at 6.04 pm on Wednesday, making it the first country to land on the uncharted surface.
The lander module comprising the lander (Vikram) and the 26-kg rover (Pragyan) made the soft landing near the south polar region of the Moon at 6.04 pm, less than a week after a similar Russian lander crashed.
With this touchdown on Moon to script history after a flawless 41-day voyage and less than a week after a Russian lander headed to the lunar south pole crashed, India has become the fourth country to master the technology of soft-landing on the Moon after the US, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union.
PROUD MOMENT for INDIA and to Humankind.. 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿Thank you #ISRO #Chandrayaan3 #VikramLander and to everyone who contributed to make this happen .. may this guide us to Explore and Celebrate the mystery of our UNIVERSE .. #justasking
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) August 23, 2023
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.
Death toll from Israeli strikes in northeast Lebanon rises from 8 to 24, Lebanese news agency says
Deir al-Balah, Nov 1: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 24 people in northeastern Lebanon, the country's news agency said, raising the death toll from eight there.
It was the latest deadly toll in the area since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah escalated last month.
Israel's military has said that its operation in Lebanon is targeting Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Lebanon's state National news Agency reported four airstrikes in different villages across country's northeast, saying rescuers were still searching for survivors in Younine, a town in the Bekaa Valley, from the rubble of a targeted house.
Hussein Haj Hassan, a Lebanese lawmaker representing the region in Baalbek-Hermel region, said that 60,000 people have already fled their homes in the area due to Israeli bombardment.
