BJP's Mandarin birthday wish for MK Stalin amid ad row
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday by wishing him a happy birthday in Mandarin. This comes amid controversy over an advertisement showcasing a Chinese flag on the new Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket launch pad in Kulasekarapattinam. "On behalf of Tamil Nadu BJP, here's wishing our Honorable...Stalin a happy birthday in his favorite language! May he live a long and healthy life!" BJP Tamil Nadu wrote on X.
Why does this story matter?
The row erupted while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the state this week to rally support for the upcoming general election. Notably, the BJP has never been in power in Tamil Nadu. The advertisement was intended to showcase the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s role in bringing the long-awaited project to the state. The image featured Stalin beside PM Modi, with a rocket in the background. The controversy stems from the rocket's nose cone, which displayed a Chinese flag.
BJP's post for Stalin
PM Modi points out error
The goof-up was pointed out by PM Modi himself while inaugurating the new ISRO facility in the southern state this week. "DMK is a party that does not work but stands ahead to take false credit. These people paste their stickers on our schemes. Now they have crossed the limits, they have pasted China's sticker to take credit for the ISRO launch pad," he said. The ad was reportedly commissioned by Tamil Nadu's Animal Husbandry Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan.
DMK acknowledges error
Radhakrishnan, for his part, has admitted the mistake. "A small mistake has been made in the newspaper advertisement given by us regarding the setting up of a rocket launch pad in the Kulasekarapatnam area," he told ANI on Thursday. "The image of the Chinese flag in the advertisement welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a mistake by those who designed the advertisement, which went unnoticed by us," he added.
DMK ad for the new ISRO rocket launch site
More on spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam
The spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam is being built on 2,233 acres at a cost of Rs. 986 crore and would function as a launch pad for smaller satellites. It will complement the existing spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. ISRO scientists said the Kulasekarapattinam spaceport will conserve fuel by allowing satellites launched from there to travel directly south, as opposed to those launched from Sriharikota, which head southeast. The project is expected to be operational in two years.
