Hyderabad: An advertisement featuring a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, along with a space rocket draped with the flag of China published in a local newspaper by the Tamil Nadu Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister, Anitha R Radhakrishnan on Wednesday, sparked a significant controversy.
K Annamalai, the president of the Tamil Nadu BJP, attacked the DMK for the commercial and said it is a, "manifestation of DMK’s commitment to China and their total disregard for our country’s sovereignty.”
The PM too denounced the purported disrespect to the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and charged the DMK of embezzling public funds. While speaking at a gathering in Tuticorin, PM Modi claimed that the DMK government was dishonoring the contributions of scientists who have been instrumental in furthering India's space research efforts in addition to wasting the hard-earned money of the people.
PM Modi stated that DMK is not prepared to witness India's progress and said, "They are not ready to see the development of India's space sector. They have insulted the Indian science and space sector, for which they must apologise."
The new launch complex is located in the Tiruchendur constituency, and Anitha Radhakrishnan, who represents that area, published the private advertisement, designed by an agency named ARASU ARTS, about the inauguration event in local Tamil newspapers.
Meanwhile, Senior DMK leader K Kanimozhi defended the advertisement, claiming that nobody has ever termed China as an enemy country. Even PM Modi welcomed the Chinese premiere and held a meeting here in Mahabalipuram,” she said.
The PM left no stone unturned in lashing out at the DMK, alleging the party of not performing but taking 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 in Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Annamalai even cited an event from the past to reflect DMK's insulting attitude towards officials of the Indian Space Community. He said in his post on X, "When the 1st launch pad of ISRO was conceptualised, TN was the first choice of ISRO. TN CM Thiru Annadurai, who could not attend the meeting because of severe shoulder pain, deputed Mathiyazhagan, one of his ministers, for the meeting. ISRO officials were kept waiting for a long, and Mathiyazhagan was finally brought to the meeting in an “inebriated state” & was incoherent throughout the meeting. And, this was the treatment our country’s space programme received 60 years ago.”
This post has garnered huge reactions on social media with netizens coming down harshly on the advertisement and making a parody of it. Several have also doubted the campaign's goals, with some speculating that it could be some sort of a propaganda.
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