Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan accused the Modi government of promoting pseudoscience and undermining scientific temper while delivering the Dabholkar Memorial Lecture in Pune (Express photo/Special arrangement).Delivering the Shaheed Dr Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Lecture in Pune on August 22, Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan accused the Narendra Modi government of spreading pseudoscience instead of promoting scientific temper.The memorial lecture, titled ‘Attacks on Scientific Temper and India Today’, was organised by the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). Dr Narendra Dabholkar, a prominent rationalist and anti-superstition campaigner, was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013.Criticising the political leadership, Bhushan said, “What Dr Dabholkar tried to do and what the current ruling dispensation is doing are exact opposites. The Prime Minister makes completely unscientific statements and spreads falsehoods… Sometimes he claims he is non-biological and sent directly by God. While inaugurating a hospital in Mumbai, he claimed that Lord Ganesha’s trunk was attached using plastic surgery and that Karna from the Mahabharata was a test-tube baby. He even suggested that radars do not work through clouds—statements that are completely unscientific.”Emphasising the importance of rational thinking, Bhushan added: “Scientific temper requires logical thought and reasoning. Science and technology emerge from reasoned thought, driving progress. It is only through reasoning that we can determine whether what we are told is true or false.”During the event, Bhushan released English translations of 10 booklets originally written in Marathi by Dr Dabholkar, translated by Professor Rahi Dahake.The lecture was attended by several MANS dignitaries alongside Dr Hamid Dabholkar and Mukta Dabholkar, the son and daughter of the slain rationalist. The event coincided with recent developments in the murder case, as the Bombay High Court recently granted bail to Sachin Andure, a convict in Dr Dabholkar’s killing.Bhushan also cautioned the audience against over-reliance on modern technology. He noted that while artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming daily life, human curiosity, scientific temper, and rationality remain indispensable. He urged citizens to stay vigilant, warning that multinational corporations often exploit technology and advertising to push unscientific narratives for commercial gain.Story continues below this adBhushan criticised the infiltration of pseudoscience into premier educational institutions and condemned irresponsible remarks by high-ranking academics. He cited the director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, who publicly claimed to have seen ghosts and attributed landslides to meat consumption.Concluding his address, Bhushan raised concerns about recent curriculum revisions, alleging that educational bodies have removed core scientific concepts such as Darwin’s theory of evolution and the periodic table, along with key chapters on Mughal history, and have introduced unscientific subjects like astrology into academic curricula.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories