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‘Science Is Not Mythology’: DMK MP Kanimozhi Criticises Ex-Union Minister Anurag Thakur’s ‘Hanuman Ji Was The First To Go To Space’ Remark

admin | August 25, 2025 12:21 PM CST

New Delhi: DMK MP Kanimozhi criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur for his recent remarks made during an interaction with school children in Himachal Pradesh.

Thakur, while addressing students on Saturday, asked them who was the first to travel in space. He then went on to state that it was not Neil Armstrong but Lord Hanuman, urging the young audience to look beyond textbooks and connect with India's cultural traditions. In a post on the social media platform X, Kanimozhi expressed deep disapproval of the statement, calling it disturbing and misleading. "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," she wrote. The DMK MP added that such claims blur the lines between myth and science and risk misleading the youth.

"Science is not mythology," Kanimozhi continued in her post. "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," she added. Anurag Thakur Calls Lord Hanuman 'First Space Traveller' During Speech In Himachal Kanimozhi's post comes just a day after BJP leader and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday stirred a debate with his remarks linking mythology to space exploration. Addressing students at a PM Shri School in Himachal Pradesh's Una, on the occasion of National Space Day, the Hamirpur MP suggested that Lord Hanuman could be considered the 'first one to travel in space.' During the interactive session, Thakur posed a question to the students, "Antriksh mein yatra karne wala pehla kaun tha? (Who was the first space traveller?)." While the students' responses were inaudible with some suggesting Neil Armstrong's name, Thakur smiled before offering his own answer, "Mujhe toh lagta hai Hanuman ji the (I think it was Lord Hanuman)."

The five-time parliamentarian went on to explain his reasoning, drawing on India's cultural and mythological traditions. "We still see ourselves in the now. As long as we do not know our thousands of years' old tradition, knowledge, culture, we will remain the same as the British have shown us," he said. Thakur urged the students to 'think out of the textbooks' and connect with the nation's heritage. Thakur Urges Schools To Look Beyond Books, Into Our Culture & Traditions "So, I would like to request the principal and all of you to look at our nation, our traditions and our knowledge. If you look at it from that direction, you will find a lot of things to see," Thakur added while stressing that India's cultural history holds lessons that go beyond classroom learning. Later, the former information and broadcasting minister shared a video clip of the interaction on his official X handle, captioned: "Pawansut Hanuman Ji… the first astronaut." The post quickly gained traction, sparking discussions on social media platforms.