Chandrayaan-3 Success: UK Journo Makes Controversial Demand
- UK journalist Patrick Christys congratulates India on Chandrayaan-3 mission.
- But asks to return £2.3 billion in aid money.
- Christys’ comments sparked an online backlash, with many accusing him of racism and xenophobia.
India made history with its Chandrayaan-3 mission, receiving congratulations from global quarters.
Among those extending their wishes was UK news presenter Patrick Christys, who, following his initial praise, stirred controversy with remarks that social media users criticized as a “jealous racist rant.”
Patrick began by lauding India’s achievement but swiftly transitioned into a call to reclaim the £2.3 billion provided to India as foreign aid, sparking online backlash.
“I would like to congratulate India for landing on the dark side of the moon. I would also like to invite India to return the 2.3 billion pounds of aid money that we sent them between 2016 and 2021. We are also set to give the 57 million pounds next year. But I think the British taxpayer should keep a hold of that. We should not be giving money to countries with a space program as a rule,” he said.
Continuing his commentary, he labeled India as “impoverished” and advised the UK government against extending further financial aid to the nation.
He questioned the appropriateness of seeking assistance when India had the resources to launch a lunar mission towards the moon’s far side.
Patrick highlighted that India reportedly has 229 million individuals living in poverty, the highest globally according to the UN, despite being the world’s fifth-largest economy with an annual GDP of approximately $3.75 trillion.
He further questioned the rationale behind providing aid to Indians in poverty when their government seemed indifferent.
I appear to have enraged Indian Twitter 😂 pic.twitter.com/SnhUU3zOjC
— Patrick Christys (@PatrickChristys) August 23, 2023
Needless to mention, X users were furious after watching this video. “Oh, the jealous racist rant! You stole more than $45 trillion from India and left the country broken and dirt poor, yet India overcame and has overtaken your economy today.
What did Britain do with the $45 trillion + that they stole from India alone? NHS is in doldrums, almost every video I come across is about British citizens living in poverty and being evicted from their homes, looking for council housing, can’t afford groceries, not to mention grooming gangs destroying and brutalizing your women and children.
India never asked you for aid, you simply pump money into questionable NGOs in India for conversion purposes, take that money, and build a few homes for your homeless population first,” a user wrote.
“Enjoy being relevant for a few days bro. You should thank India for that and btw Jai Hind,” another user wrote.
See more reactions below:
Subsequently, the term ’45 Trillion’ gained traction on platform X as a response to the criticism Patrick Christys received.
Journalist Sophie Corcoran expressed her opinion on platform X, suggesting that the UK should reconsider providing aid to India due to its well-developed space program.
She advocated for the retrieval of funds, emphasizing that the time had come for the UK to reclaim its resources.
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