An advertisement promoting a new spaceport operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Tamil Nadu has sparked controversy after featuring a rocket adorned with the flag of China, leaving the state government embarrassed.
The advertisement, reportedly issued by State Fisheries Minister Anita Radhakrishnan, was meant to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone for the ISRO spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam. It aimed to highlight the efforts of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi and his son, current Chief Minister MK Stalin, in bringing the project to fruition.
However, the ad unintentionally displayed a computer-generated rocket with the Chinese national flag, leading to criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) directed at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Prime Minister Modi, taking a jab at the DMK, accused the party of appropriating credit for projects initiated by the BJP-led Centre. “DMK is a party that takes credit for work it hasn’t done. Everyone knows they put their stickers on our schemes. Now, they’ve gone too far by affixing Chinese stickers to claim credit for the ISRO launch pad in Tamil Nadu,” PM Modi stated at a rally in Tirunelveli.
“They refuse to acknowledge India’s space advancements, and with taxpayers’ money, they advertise without even featuring India’s space achievements,” he added. BJP state president K Annamalai also condemned the ad, which appeared in local newspapers, and accused the DMK of showing “disregard for our country’s sovereignty.”
“This advertisement… reflects the DMK’s allegiance to China. The DMK, steeped in corruption, has been eager to claim credit since the announcement of ISRO’s second launch pad. Their desperation only highlights their attempt to bury their past misdeeds,” Annamalai wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He further contextualized the situation, recalling an incident from 60 years ago when Tamil Nadu’s initial proposal to host ISRO’s first launch pad was marred by incompetence.
