Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) advertisement featuring a Chinese flag, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a jab at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. The BJP wished Stalin a happy birthday in Mandarin, stating, "On behalf of Tamil Nadu BJP, here's wishing our Honourable CM Thiru MK Stalin a happy birthday in his favourite language! May he live a long and healthy life!"
The advertisement, which appeared in leading dailies ahead of the foundation stone-laying event for ISRO's new spaceport in Thoothukudi district, featured a rocket adorned with a Chinese flag, sparking a war of words between the BJP and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan, a DMK leader responsible for the ad, admitted it was a mistake by the designer, asserting, "A small mistake happened in the advertisement. We have no other intention. We have only love for India in our hearts."
On February 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ISRO's new launch complex in Tamil Nadu, worth approximately Rs 986 crore. The facility can host 24 launches annually and includes 35 facilities, featuring mobile launch structures (MLS) with checkout computers, and advancement in space exploration capabilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while laying the foundation stone for ISRO's new launch complex in Kulasekarapattinam on February 28, criticised the DMK for overlooking India's achievements in the space sector. He accused the DMK regime of taking "false credit" and affixing its 'stickers' on central schemes. PM Modi condemned the use of a Chinese flag in the advertisement, describing it as an insult to India's space scientists, the space sector, taxpayers, and the nation.
In tweet, the PM had said: "DMK’s advertisement today is hilarious. They have insulted Indian science and the Indian space sector, for which they must apologise."
In response, DMK's Radhakrishnan explained that the late party patriarch M Karunanidhi initially proposed the ISRO launch complex in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister MK Stalin and Thoothukudi Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi consistently advocated for its establishment. The advertisement aimed to highlight DMK's efforts in bringing this project to Tamil Nadu, but the designer's oversight went unnoticed, according to the minister.
BJP leader L Murugan demanded an apology from the DMK. Murugan stated, "It is our duty to put the Indian flag, and they (DMK) must apologize to the people. The country's achievements in space technology and the new ISRO complex in Tamil Nadu are the nation's pride."
