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Condemning the puja conducted at the Tirupati temple by scientists of India's space agency ahead of the successful launch of the Mars mission, social activist Swami Agnivesh Thursday said Indian scientists should avoid indulging in such "superstitious" activities.



He said the launch of the PSLV-C25 was a success because of the efforts of all the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and not because of the puja at the temple.



"Instead of taking credit of the successful launch of the PSLV-C25, why are the scientists so keen on projecting that superstitious rituals are a must for every success," Agnivesh said at a press meet.



"The reason behind India's dehumanising poverty are superstitious citizens, who even after knowing the reality behind everything do not abstain from performing superstitious activities," he said.



"In the name of national tradition and culture, performing an act of superstition is not acceptable. Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and many eminent scientist directors of ISRO, who followed them, never indulged in any such act. Therefore, calling it an ISRO-tradition is not only factually incorrect but is blatantly misleading," he said.