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 Dr Nair, who is among the four scientists barred from government jobs, was unsparing in his criticism of Dr 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 Dr 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 Dr Radhakrishnan has caused a disquiet among senior Isro scientists here. Dr Nair rubbished suggestions of a scam in the Antrix-Devas deal and maintained that estimation of huge loss to the exchequer is “totally erroneous” One scientist said whatever work done in Isro over the years is shattered in one moment. .