CM Mamata allegedly calls Sunita Williams ‘Sunita Chawla’; Suvendu Adhikari calls her ‘Foolish CM’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mistakenly referred to astronaut Sunita Williams as "Sunita Chawla" while speaking in the Assembly on Wednesday. Shortly after, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari criticized her, calling her a "foolish Chief Minister" and questioning her knowledge of space history. The remark has sparked controversy, with Adhikari pointing out previous instances where Banerjee allegedly made similar errors regarding space missions.

Banerjee had congratulated Sunita Williams and her team on their safe return from space, both on social media and in the Assembly. She praised the efforts of the rescue team and emphasized the hardships faced by the astronauts. "I congratulate Sunita Williams and her team. Kalpana Chawla could not return after her space mission. From what I have learned, there was a technical fault in Sunita’s spacecraft. If they had returned in that vehicle, there could have been an explosion. I have also been following up on the pain they had to endure," Banerjee said. She also stated that Williams should be awarded the Bharat Ratna.

However, Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Banerjee mispronounced Williams' name in the Assembly. "She called Sunita Williams 'Sunita Chawla.' A foolish Chief Minister who doesn’t even know Kalpana Chawla’s name. Earlier, she claimed that Rakesh Roshan went to the Moon, that Indira Gandhi went to the Moon. And now, she just said in the Assembly—'Sunita Chawla'," Adhikari stated. He further questioned, "In what kind of state are we living?"

During the session, Banerjee also claimed to have been studying space science. In response, Adhikari mocked her, saying, "She has a doctorate from Georgia University. Later, I found out it was fake." He further stated, "I can't find anyone named 'Sunita Chawla'! Sunita Williams is India's daughter. But who is Sunita Chawla?" He criticized Banerjee’s alleged mistakes and remarked on her knowledge of space history.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams returned to Earth early Wednesday after being stranded in space for nearly nine months due to technical issues with their spacecraft. Originally planned as an eight-day mission, their return was delayed multiple times. Banerjee had expressed concern over the challenges faced by the astronauts and mentioned that she had been closely following the developments.