Mangaluru: Congress MLA from Mangaluru UT Khader has blamed Russia for Chandrayaan2 lander Vikram losing contact with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

As telecast by a local channel, he is said to have a remark thus, “Russia may have played a role in Vikram not landing on the lunar surface. Way back in 2007, India and Russia had signed an agreement that Russia would provide lander to ISRO. But it has not honoured the agreement. The centre should hold an investigation in this regard.”

He also took a jibe at Modi for announcing a line of credit to Russia.

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“Russia has cheated us. Our PM has helped a country like this. Our PM has given a line of credit to such a country.”

As India waited with bated breath to see Chandrayaan2 land on the moon, the lander failed to establish a contact back with earth. A dismayed and distraught chairman of ISRO wept tears, unable to digest the failure.

But in a statesman-like gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an encouraging speech, congratulating the ISRO scientists for the splendid effort.

Modi also termed the scientists “exceptional professionals.”

The Prime Minister also invoked the phrase “amritasya putrah” an expression in Sanskrit which translates to “children of immortality” in English while addressing the scientists and trying to console them in the hour of crisis.

After Modi’s address, he walked down and shook hands with all the scientists present at the venue.

What was most touching was how K Sivan could not hide his tears as Modi left the station. As a caring and doting father, Modi hugged him and patted his back several times, reassuring him that the whole nation was proud of the very endeavour the ISRO had taken up.

While Vikram has lost contact, the Orbiter continues to be functional as it will go around the moon and map its surface.