Restore our honour,hold probe: Nair

Nair said that he had written emphasising the credentials of all four scientists

Former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to conduct a proper inquiry against him and three other former Indian Space Research Organisation scientists in the Antrix Devas deal before bringing into operation a ban on government duty,ordered against them by the Department of Space on January 13.

I have asked the PM to put the implementation of this order on hold and conduct a proper inquiry if at all there is anything that we have done wrong, Nair said regarding the communication that,he said,was sent last week.

Nair,who along with former Antrix Corporation managing director K R Sridhara Murthi,former ISRO satellite centre head K N Shankara and former ISRO scientific secretary A Bhaskaranarayana have been barred from government duties,said that he had written emphasising the credentials of all four scientists.

We have absolutely established ourselves,we have contributed to the countrys achievements. Look at the lifestyle of any of the individuals,they are all very plain people,they have given their lifetime of work to the country, Nair said.

I am not interested in any favours. What I am interested in is the restoration of our honour, he said.

According to Nair,what he is looking for in a proper inquiry is the following of principles of natural justice where an individual who stands accused of any wrong doing is given an opportunity to defend himself a procedure he says that has not been followed in the course of the January 13 order.

Reacting to statements from Minister of state,PMO,V Narayanasamy that the government is ready to hear the views of the scientists,Nair said he would welcome it if the move is real and genuine.

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The former ISRO chairman said that if the government is serious about hearing the scientists views then they should approach the scientists directly rather than through media statements.