BJP leaders criticised Congress leader Udit Raj for saying that an SC, ST, OBC, or Dalit person should've been sent to space instead of IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said there's no "reservation" in space, and Maharashtra MLA Ram Kadam emphasised that a person's capabilities, not their caste, decide if they can be sent to space.