Social media post on Bharat Mata row: ISRO staff union protests suspension of Left front-affiliated employee in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The ISRO Staff Association has demanded the immediate revocation of the suspension imposed on G.R. Pramod, a staff member of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), for a social media post related to the Bharat Mata debate.

General Secretary E.S. Hareesh and President V.S. Sharath Kumar jointly criticised the disciplinary action and called for its withdrawal without delay. “We call for the immediate withdrawal of the suspension,” the association said.

Facebook post leads to controversy

Pramod, who is also the state secretary of the Confederation of Central Government Staff and Workers Union—an organisation aligned with the Left front—was suspended following a Facebook post he made in June.

The post, titled “Ethenkilum onnil urachunilkkada…” (“Stay firm in at least one thing…”), featured comments critical of the ongoing Bharat Mata discourse. The post sparked internal concerns, after which VSSC transferred him to the Mechanisms & Vehicle Integration Testing unit in Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram.

VSSC disciplinary action follows transfer

Pramod was initially moved from the administrative section to a technical unit within the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, a key ISRO establishment under the Government of India’s Department of Space. VSSC focuses on the design and development of launch vehicles and associated technologies.

His suspension followed soon after the transfer, drawing criticism from staff associations representing central government employees.