The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stirred a light-hearted controversy by wishing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin a happy birthday in Mandarin, his purported favorite language, amidst a row over an advertisement related to the Indian Space Research Organisation‘s (ISRO) new launch complex featuring a Chinese flag.
BJP’s Mandarin Birthday Wish
Check out BJP’s Birthday Wish Here:
In a tweet, the Tamil Nadu BJP extended birthday wishes to Chief Minister MK Stalin in Mandarin, playfully acknowledging his linguistic preferences. The gesture comes amidst heightened tensions sparked by an advertisement faux pas concerning ISRO’s upcoming spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district, which displayed a rocket bearing a Chinese flag.
Advertisement Blunder and Political Fallout
The controversy erupted following an advertisement published by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan, featuring ISRO’s new launch complex. The advertisement, which appeared in leading newspapers ahead of the foundation stone-laying event by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inadvertently featured a rocket adorned with a Chinese flag.
BJP Criticism and PM Modi’s Response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly criticized the DMK, accusing the party of undermining India’s achievements in space technology. Addressing a rally in Tirunelveli, PM Modi condemned the portrayal of the Chinese flag, describing it as an insult to Indian space scientists, the space sector, taxpayers, and the nation at large.
DMK’s Defense and Counterattack
In response, the DMK defended the advertisement as a design error and emphasized that there were no malicious intentions behind it. However, the party retaliated against PM Modi’s remarks, accusing him of neglecting Chinese incursions along the Line of Control in eastern Ladakh.
