Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy on Wednesday backed Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s claim that the internet and satellites existed in the days of the Mahabharata.

“Tripura Chief Minister’s observations about the happenings of the Puranic period are topical,” Roy said on Twitter on Wednesday. “It is virtually impossible to conceive of devices like ‘Divya drishti’, Pushpaka Ratha’, etc without some kind of prototype and study thereon.”

Deb, who was speaking at a workshop on Computerisation and Reforms at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala on Tuesday, said Indians invented technology more than a thousand years ago. “How could Dhritarashtra see through Sanjay’s eyes?” the chief minister said. “This means technology was there, internet was there, satellite was there. Communication was possible because our technology was sophisticated and developed during those times. It is not like the Internet or media wasn’t available in the age of Mahabharata.”

The chief minister stood by his claims on Wednesday and said it was “narrow minded people who find it tough to believe this”, NDTV reported. “My country had the technology years ago, which no country had. I am proud of that and I think every Indian should feel proud. I want to repeat that we should accept the truth and should not get confused,” he said.