Karnataka Congress holds protest against move to shift ISRO's programme to Gujarat from Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Dec 1: President of Karnataka Congress D K Shivakumar, along with the party affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI), staged what the party called a symbolic protest in front of the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) office here on Wednesday.
The protest, the Congress said, was against any move to shift the Indian Human Space Flight programme of the space agency from Bengaluru to Gujarat and called it a matter of State's pride.
Shivakumar recently shot off letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai opposing any such move amid some reports of such a plan being under consideration of the Central government.
NSUI members shouted slogans, held placards and posters which read "Stop Shifting ISRO to Gujarat '', "Stop Privatisation ''.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said human space flight programme should not be shifted out of the State for any reason.
"It is a matter of Karnataka's pride; they (Central government) are planning to shift the Human Space Flight programme out of Bengaluru, it should not happen. Let them start any other new project or programme there in Gujarat, but it is not right to shift the programme that began and is running here," he said.
"It (the move to shift) is purely political to please the bosses from Gujarat. They first wanted to shift the airshow out of Bengaluru, but withdrew only after Kannadigas protested...what is the scientific reason behind the plan to shift the programme from Bengaluru," he asked.
Also alleging attempts to privatise important national agencies and assets, the KPCC chief said ISRO should not get included in the list of organisations that have been sold to private hands after airlines, hotel and public sector companies, among others.
He urged the Central government to come clear on the issue.
Launched in 2007 by ISRO, the Indian Human Space Flight programme is aimed at development of technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low earth orbit.
ಇಸ್ರೋ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಜ್ಞಾನದ ಸಂಕೇತ, ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಸ್ವಾಭಿಮಾನದ ಪ್ರತೀಕ. ಗಗನಯಾನ ಯೋಜನೆ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರ ನಿರ್ಧಾರ ಕೈಬಿಡುವಂತೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಪತ್ರ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದೆ. ಆದರೆ, ಯೋಜನೆ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲೇ ಅಲ್ಲವೇ ಅಂತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೂ ಈ ನಿರ್ಧಾರ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಬಿಡಲ್ಲ. ಇದು ರಾಜಕೀಯೇತರ ಹೋರಾಟ.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) December 1, 2021
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ಬಾಹ್ಯಾಕಾಶ ಕುರಿತ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ಸಿನಿಮಾಗಿಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಬಜೆಟ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಂಗಳಯಾನದಂತಹ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಿತ ಯೋಜನೆಯನ್ನು ಪೂರೈಸಿದ ಇಸ್ರೋ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಭವಿಷ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕ ಕನಸುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡಿದೆ. ಇಂಥ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಖಾಸಗೀಕರಣಗೊಳಿಸುವುದು ಖಂಡಿತ ನ್ಯಾಯಯುತ ನಿರ್ಧಾರವಲ್ಲ. ಇದರಿಂದ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರಿಗೂ ವಂಚಿಸಿದಂತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) December 1, 2021
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Messi scores, but Inter Miami only gets 2-2 tie with Austin FC in opener of new stadium
Miami (AP): Lionel Messi scored on the long-awaited opening night in his new home stadium. And Luis Suarez found a way to tie things up late in the second half.
It was good enough to salvage a point for Inter Miami.
Messi scored on a header in the 10th minute, Suarez hammered home a volley in the 82nd minute and Inter Miami escaped with a 2-2 tie against Austin FC in the defending MLS champions' first match at their still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport on Saturday night.
Inter Miami (3-1-2) is now unbeaten in its last five MLS matches, and Austin (1-2-3) is now winless in its last four contests.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at the match, lauding the work that David Beckham — who picked Miami 13 years ago — did to get to this day. Inter Miami is in its seventh MLS season, its third with Messi, but has played home matches in Fort Lauderdale until now.
Garber touted the stadium opening as the latest sign of growth for MLS.
“I think our best days are still ahead," Garber said. "David shined a light on our league, and Leo's taking that torch, and he's showing it around. And we're getting calls from players around the world.”
The Herons never led; Austin took a 1-0 lead on Guilherme Biro's goal — the first ever at Nu Stadium — in the sixth minute, and the visitors went up 2-1 when speedy reserve Jayden Nelson scored in the 53rd minute.
Messi and Suarez both got tying goals, and Inter Miami missed some chances for a potential winner in the final minutes. Maybe the best of the lot: Mateo Silvetti's chance in the 87th minute, when he accepted a cross from the right wing and tried to one-time the ball but sent it sailing high.
“We already know what Leo is capable of and the trouble he causes for the opposition, and even without the ball as well,” Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon told Apple TV after the match. “And Luis, too — whenever he's inside the box, he's lethal, and he proved that once again.”
Suarez thought he scored in the 90th minute after a free kick from Messi, but the play was called offside. And Messi had a chance about three minutes later from inside the box, but Brad Stuver got low for a save diving to his left to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
Stuver said it was a great result, especially given the circumstances — against the MLS champs, who were opening their new stadium.
“We got to be the villains,” Stuver said.
Austin led much of the second half, after Nelson came on at intermission and gave his club a spark.
Nelson — who played for Vancouver against Inter Miami in last season's MLS Cup final — got behind the defense, avoided going offside and took a pass from Myrto Uzuni in the middle of the field about 30 yards from the goal.
He sent a low shot that got past charging Inter Miami goalie Dayne St. Clair and kissed off the inside of the left goalpost before settling into the net.
