Nair steps up attack on Radhakrishnan; ISRO boss backs action

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The ISRO row escalated on Thursday with former chairman G. Madhavan Nair rubbishing allegations of a scam in the scrapped controversial Antrix-Devas deal while space agency chief K. Radhakrishnan defended the decision to bar four scientists from any re-employment.

For the second consecutive day Nair, who is among the four scientists barred from government jobs, was unsparing in his criticism of Radhakrishnan and accused him of taking ‘deliberate action’ and then trying to justify it by lining up arguments in its favour.

The government's action barring Nair and three eminent space scientists from any re-employment for their alleged role in the controversial allocation of scarce S-band space segment to private firm Devas and his subsequent diatribe against Radhakrishnan has caused a disquiet among senior ISRO scientists.

Nair rubbished suggestions of a scam in the Antrix-Devas deal and maintained that estimation of huge loss to the exchequer is ‘totally erroneous’.

The scientists, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the turn of events since Wednesday were a sad episode and the space agency's image has certainly taken a severe beating.

"It's like ISRO edifice crumbling," one of them said while another felt it was worse than a "couple of mission failures."

One scientist said whatever work done in ISRO over the years is shattered in one moment. Asked for his comments on the action against Nair and others, former ISRO Chairman U R Rao said: "I have no idea at all. I have nothing to do with it".

Nair, architect of India's first moon mission, has blamed Radhakrishnan for the action, accusing him of misleading the government and pursuing a ‘personal agenda’.

A source close to Radhakrishnan claimed that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief remained unfazed and believed he has not done anything wrong. He said Radhakrishnan was unperturbed by Nair's outbursts.