India, Feb. 10 -- Rajya Sabha BJP MP Sujeet Kumar made a strong case on Monday for the establishment of an independent space force to safeguard India's strategic interests in outer space.

Raising the matter during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP member emphasised that space is no longer merely scientific.

"It is a strategic domain," Kumar said and highlighted that all communications, navigation, banking, surveillance, and military operations depend on space-based assets. He said the Government has created the Defence Space Agency and the Defence Space Research Organisation. Noting that ISRO's achievements command global respect, the BJP MP said the historic success of the anti-satellite missile test, ASAT, has established Indi...