Mamata Banerjee’s Lunar Blunders: From Moonwalk Missteps to Indira Gandhi’s Moon Voyage

Kolkata, August 29, 2023: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, known for her candid remarks, has once again made headlines for a recent misstatement, this time suggesting that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had “gone to the Moon.”

Addressing a rally on the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad’s foundation day anniversary, Banerjee shared an anecdote involving astronaut Rakesh Sharma, confusing the name with film director Rakesh Roshan.

Recalling the conversation between Indira Gandhi and Rakesh Sharma, she quoted, “When Indira Gandhi reached the Moon, she asked Rakesh (Sharma) how does Hindustan (India) look from there. He replied ‘Sare jahaan se achcha’ (the best in the world).” The gaffe was widely circulated on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

This incident follows Banerjee’s recent mix-up during her praise for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Chandrayaan-3 mission success. She mistakenly referred to Rakesh Sharma as “Rakesh Roshan,” the renowned director and father of actor Hrithik Roshan. Sharma, an Indian Air Force pilot, became the first and only Indian to travel to space in the Soviet Union’s Salyut 7 Orbital Station.

Banerjee’s recent stumble took place just days after India achieved a significant feat with Chandrayaan-3, soft-landing its lander module on the Moon’s South Pole. The Chief Minister’s slip of the tongue has once again prompted discussions about the importance of accurate and informed public statements.

Mamata Banerjee’s tendency to make such statements has led to both amusement and criticism in the past. This incident reiterates the need for thoroughness and precision, especially in public addresses, given the wide-reaching impact of political figures’ words.