PM Modi lauded the ISRO for its achievement for Chandrayaan 2 Launch (File)

The Congress on Monday said it deserved credit for the successful launch of the Chandrayaan 2, India's second moon mission, saying it was former prime minister Manmohan Singh who had approved the project in 2008. The party also said former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had "funded" India's first space agency that later became ISRO. The remark elicited a sharp rebuke from the BJP, which said the party was lingering on to the past as it had no "future leadership".

"This is a good time to remember the visionary move of India's first PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to fund space research through INCOSPAR in1962 which later became ISRO. And also Dr. Manmohan Singh for sanctioning the Chandrayan 2 project in 2008," the Congress tweeted from its official handle.

BJP leader Sambit Patra slammed the party for the remark.

"This is really demeaning... It's a proud moment for every Indian. Shouldn't have been drawn into the political arena," Mr Patra tweeted.

"By the way when there is no future leadership in view there's a tendency to fall back on the past to stay relevant...sadly this is what has happened to the Congress," he added.

This is really demeaning..

It's a proud moment for every Indian

Shouldn't have been drawn into the political arena

By the way when there is No future leadership in view there's a tendency to fall back on the past to stay relevant ..sadly this is what has happened to the Congress https://t.co/fnYyaT3hES — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 22, 2019

Mr Patra was apparently referring to the leadership crisis that has hit the Congress after its chief Rahul Gandhi resigned following the party's crushing defeat in the national election.

India's moon mission Chandrayaan 2 lifted off from its launch pad at Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota at 2:43 pm on Monday on board a giant heavy-lift rocket. India's space scientists had a narrow one-minute window for their second attempt at launching the moon mission today, a week after the mission was aborted 56 minutes before lift-off.

The success of Chandrayaan 2 mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to pull off a soft landing on the moon.