'Hanuman Ji First To Travel To Space': BJP's Anurag Thakur To Schoolkids, Sparks Row (WATCH)

BJP MP Anurag Thakur, during an interaction with school children on National Space Day, asked “who was the first person to travel to space.” When the students answered “Neil Armstrong,” he responded, “I think Hanuman ji was the first to go to space.”

A lighthearted exchange between BJP MP Anurag Thakur and schoolkids on National Space Day has set off a storm of criticism, after his remark linked mythology with space science. While interacting with students at Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Una, Himachal Pradesh, Thakur asked, “Who was the first person to travel to space?” When the students replied, “Neil Armstrong,” Thakur countered, “I think Hanuman ji was the first person to travel to space.”

The statement immediately drew sharp reactions from the Opposition. The DMK slammed Thakur for “confusing fact with fable,” with party MP Kanimozhi launching a scathing attack on X. “A member of parliament and former union minister asking school children who first set foot on the moon, and insisting that it was not Neil Armstrong but Hanuman, is deeply troubling. Science is not mythology. To mislead young minds in classrooms is an insult to knowledge, reason, and the spirit of scientific temper enshrined in our Constitution. India’s future lies in nurturing curiosity, not confusing fact with fable.”

Despite the uproar, Thakur used the platform to emphasize the importance of India’s knowledge traditions. He urged teachers to expand learning beyond colonial-era curricula. “We should look towards our veds, our textbooks and our knowledge. That will allow students to see a lot more,” he said, stressing that India’s ancient wisdom should stand alongside modern scientific exploration.

At the same event, Thakur lauded India’s meteoric rise in the space sector—celebrating the Chandrayaan-3 triumph in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s steadfast support for ISRO, and ambitious goals of establishing a space station by 2035 and sending an Indian crew to the Moon by 2040. He proudly reminded students of India’s record-breaking feat of launching 104 satellites in one flight, the successful testing of the reusable launch vehicle, and the nation’s transition from seeking foreign aid to becoming a global space partner. “Earlier we had to seek help from foreign countries to launch our satellites, but now foreign nations seek help from us,” he told the students.

This year marked the second National Space Day, commemorating Chandrayaan-3’s success, under the theme, “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities.” The intent was to blend India’s deep astronomical legacy with its futuristic space aspirations.