Chandrayaan-3 moon landing: Outcry on social media as British anchor faces backlash for telling India to repay aid
Chandrayaan-3 success: The successful culmination of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is unquestionably a reason for global celebration and elation. The mission, undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has garnered immense enthusiasm and a sense of pride, extending beyond India's borders.
As the entire world celebrated India's remarkable accomplishment in the space sector, there appeared to be a sense of envy from the UK towards India's triumph with the Chandrayaan-3 mission. A British anchor, while taking to official 'X' handle, said 'India should reimburse the $2.3 billion aid provided by the UK from 2016 to 2021 due to its advanced space programme'.
In response, angry Indian netizens argued that Britain should prioritise returning the Kohinoor diamond and repaying the $45 trillion "it plundered during the years 1765 to 1938".
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TV presenter Patrick Christys said, “I would like to congratulate India for landing on the dark side of the Moon. I would also like to now invite India to return the £2.3 billion of foreign aid money that we sent them between 2016 and 2021. We are also set to give them £57 million pounds next year and I think the British taxpayer should keep hold of that, don’t you? We should not be giving money to countries with a space programme. As a rule, if you can afford to fire a rocket to the dark side of the Moon, you shouldn’t be coming to us with your hand out."
‘India, give us back our £2.3 BILLION!’@PatrickChristys congratulates India on their successful moon mission, but says ‘as a rule, if you can afford to fire a rocket at the dark side of the moon, you shouldn’t be coming to us with your hand out for foreign aid!’ pic.twitter.com/fNMLY5RCok — GB News (@GBNEWS) August 23, 2023
In the viral video, news anchor Patrick Christys went a step further by referring to India as "impoverished" and cautioned the UK government against extending additional financial aid to the nation.
Indian netizens, however, slammed the TV presenter and reminded him of the 'Kohinoor' which Britishers 'looted from India along 45 trillion dollar during the Indian colonial rule'.
How netizens react to the clip of news presenter?
Indian netizens took this viral clip to Twitter war and took a jibe at Patrick Christys by making angry and insulting comments on the news bulletin clip.
A user called British anchor as “Oh the jealous racist rant!”
“Enjoy being relevant for a few days bro. You should thank India for that and btw Jai Hind,” another user wrote.
Another shared, “How jealous could one be?”
‘Britain, give us back our $44.997 TRILLION!’
Hi @PatrickChristys,
Thank you for reminding about the grant. Now ‘as a rule, salute us & return $45 TRILLION you’ve looted from us’
Britain gave, as you say,
£2.3 BILLION i.e. $2.5 BILLION.
Deduct it & return the remaining… — Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) August 23, 2023
Give us back our Kohinoor ???? first and the billions looted by your 200 years of colonial rule! — Rachit Seth???????? (@rachitseth) August 23, 2023
Britain drained out over $45 trillion from India, which to date has hampered the country's ability to come out of poverty.
Between 1765 and 1938, the drain amounted to 9.2 trillion pounds ($45 trillion).
Indians were never given due credit for their precious resources like… — Niraj Kumar (@Nirajkumar___) August 23, 2023
Significantly, the eagerly awaited Chandrayaan-3 mission carved a remarkable chapter in the nation's history, with the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander accomplishing a successful touchdown on the Moon. This achievement positions India as the foremost country globally to achieve a spacecraft landing on the lunar South Pole.
- With inputs from agencies
