Isro ad row: BJP's birthday greeting to M K Stalin comes with a twist

The BJP's birthday greeting comes amid a row over an advertisement for Isro's new launch complex in Tamil Nadu, which featured a 'Chinese flag'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday took a dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin by wishing him on his birthday in Mandarin amid a row over an advertisement related to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) new launch complex that featured a 'Chinese flag'.

"On behalf of the 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 BJP wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

 

This comes amid a war of words between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the BJP.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party over a state minister's ad for the Isro spaceport, which featured an image of a rocket with the Chinese flag symbol, saying it was "an insult to scientists."

"They [DMK] are not ready to see the development of India. They are not ready to see the development of India's space sector," the Prime Minister said while addressing an event in Tuticorin.

The advertisement, reportedly issued by State Fisheries Minister Anita Radhakrishnan, was intended to celebrate the foundation stone being laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Isro spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam and highlight the efforts of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi and his son and current Chief Minister MK Stalin in bringing the project to fruition.

While attacking the ad, the Prime Minister further said, "They [DMK] put their sticker on our schemes. To take credit for a new Isro launchpad, they have pasted a Chinese flag symbol. They are not ready to see the development of India. They are not ready to see the development of India's space sector."

In response to PM Modi's statement that the DMK was "not ready to see India's development," DMK minister P Thiagarajan said that the growth rate of Tamil Nadu was higher than India's average.

In a social media post, Thiagarajan wrote, "Why would anyone want to slow Tamil Nadu's growth?"

"Why would anyone want to slow TN's growth by more than 1 per cent every year to come down to the Indian average? In reality, the gap will likely widen further under the leadership of CM MK Stalin rather than come down to the Indian average," he added.