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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday took a dig at BJP MP Anurag Thakur for his "Hanuman was the first one in space" remark. Yadav congratulated IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission. While hailing the achievement as a proud moment for the country, Yadav also used the occasion to launch a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing its leaders of being more interested in astrology than astronomy.

पवनसुत हनुमान जी…पहले अंतरिक्ष यात्री। pic.twitter.com/WO5pG2hAqT

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 23, 2025

Speaking at a press conference, Yadav described Shukla's mission as “a big accomplishment for the nation, for him personally, and for his family.” He praised the astronaut’s dedication, saying, “He must have worked very hard and undergone rigorous training to achieve this feat.”

The SP president, however, took a swipe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for hosting a civic reception in Shukla’s honour upon his arrival in Lucknow. “The space journey has enhanced India’s prestige and drawn on resources from across the country. But BJP leaders always try to claim credit for everything,” Yadav said.

Taking a dig at Anurag Thakur, he said, "They say the first one to go to space was Lord Hanuman. We believe that God lives in space."  “BJP leaders trust astrology more than astronomy. They worry about which day is auspicious, what colour to wear, or the right time to leave. How can those who don't believe in astronomy talk about space?”

#WATCH | Lucknow: On Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Samajwadi Party Chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav says, "... He has achieved a great feat. He must have worked so hard all these years and gone through rigorous training after which he has been able to achieve this success. It is a… pic.twitter.com/cLmPeMfsuP

— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2025

Yadav also said he hoped to meet Shukla personally when possible to “discuss many things about space.” “He has a protocol, we will take time from him and meet,” he added.

In a pointed remark, the former chief minister recalled the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, saying, “We haven’t found the Pulwama vehicle that exploded… We want to ask if someone can get this information from satellite images,” though he did not elaborate further.

Shukla, who returned to India from the US on August 17 after completing his historic mission, reached his hometown Lucknow on Monday morning. Before that, he attended several events in Delhi, including a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 18.