He said that India was now an "established space power" and in space's "super league" because it had successfully managed to shoot down a low-orbit satellite in a missile test.According to Mr Modi, with the successful launch of an anti-satellite missile (ASAT), India has become only the fourth country after the US, China and Russia to have this technology.
He said that it would "make India stronger, even more secure and will further peace and harmony".When China carried out a similar test in 2007- destroying a weather satellite - it caused international alarm over a possible space arms race.
There are also concerns that the debris from such tests can harm civilian and military satellite operations. However, India said that it had intentionally carried out its test in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there was no debris and that whatever was left would "decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks".
Mamata Banerjee said she would file a complaint with the Election Commission about the violation of the Model Code of Conduct, which lays down the dos and don'ts for a caretaker government and political parties ahead of the elections.