'Even If My Own Family...': BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla Calls Out Brother Over ‘ISRO Fake News'

A war of words broke out between Shehzad Poonawalla, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson, and his estranged brother Tehseen, a Congress loyalist, after the latter claimed that the government did not pay Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientists their salary for three months.

In a recent chat on a YouTube channel, Tehseen Poonawalla claimed that ISRO students who worked on Chandrayan 3 were not paid salaries for three months.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) later did a ‘fact check’ of the claim and termed it fake.

Tehseen, who is married to jewellery designer Monicka Vadera, a cousin of Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra, later issued a clarification that it wasn’t scientists, but engineers and people below the rank, who were not paid for their work for three months.

Further tagging some news articles related to his claim, Tehseen stressed that ‘crime’ does not get ‘reduced’ due of engineers associated with ISRO are delayed.

“Dear @PIBFactCheck : firstly thank you for the correction that it is NOT scientists. However you are still skating on thin ice- cause the context of the particular conversation was NON PAYMENT! So it’s not scientist but engineers associated with ISRO from a GOVT PSU ! As if that REDUCED the CRIME!! Are these news items attached below also not true ?” Tehseen posted on X, formally Twitter.

After Tehseen clarification, Sehzaar called out his brother and demanded an apology from him for ISRO and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Now, that you have accepted that it was not ISRO SCIENTISTS but allegedly some engineers WHO ARE NOT FROM ISRO – the more honourable thing to do, is to just apologise to ISRO & PM @narendramodi ji… I know you won’t. Nor will your congress Jamaat..” Shehzad posted.

Further, in a veiled dig at Congress’ ‘Parivarvad’ allegations against BJP, Shezad said that for him nation is first and family last.

“For me my nation is first. Family last – ALWAYS. Even if my own family spreads fake news about ISRO & INDIA – I will call them out,” Shehzad wrote tagging PIB’s fact check.

The Poonawalla brothers have had a strained relationship since 2017, when Shehzad, who was a Congress office bearer at the time, called the party’s presidential election process a ‘sham’.

Later, Shehzad joined the BJP and was elevated to the position of national spokesperson.