The Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister has landed in fresh controversy by saying India knew about nuclear science a lakh years ago.

Even as the controversy surrounding Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's allegdly abusive remarks refuses to die down, another BJP MP has started a fresh one — this time on the "ancient knowledge of Indians."

Television reports quoted that, while participating in a debate on The School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who is an MP from Haridwar, said: "Science is a dwarf in front of astrology."

He went on to add, "Astrology is the biggest science. It is in fact above science. We should promote it."

"We speak about nuclear science today. But Sage Kanad conducted nuclear test one lakh years ago."

"We had the knowledge of transplant," he said, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that Lord Ganesha was an example to plastic surgery.

In the past, when Mr. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, in a foreword for a book, he had written, Lord Rama flew the first aeroplane.