China rocket on DMK’s ISRO ad sparks row, PM Modi says shows ‘commitment to…’

A fresh controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu after an advertisement for a new Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spaceport in the southern state featuring prime minister Narendra Modi, chief minister MK Stalin, and a rocket with the flag of China appeared in leading Tamil newspapers on Wednesday.
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PM Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, took a jibe at the DMK government over the newspaper advertisement saying that the DMK government has insulted Indian science and is ‘not ready’ to accept India’s progress in the space sector.
While addressing a gathering in Tirunelveli, PM Modi said, “They are not ready to accept India’s progress in the space sector and with the taxes that you pay, they give advertisements and do not even include a picture of India’s space in them. They did not want to present India’s space success in front of the world, they insulted our scientists, our space sector, and your tax money. Now it’s high time that the DMK is punished for their deeds.”
He further said that the ruling DMK does not work for the welfare of the people but stands ahead to take false credit.
“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 in Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai also slammed the Stalin-led government saying that DMK has been ‘desperate’ to paste stickers since the announcement of the second launch pad coming up in the state was made.
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While sharing the ad on X, Annamalai said, “This advertisement by DMK Minister Anita Radhakrishnan to leading Tamil dailies today is a manifestation of DMK’s commitment to China and their total disregard for our country’s sovereignty. DMK, a party fighting high on corruption, has been desperate to paste stickers ever since the announcement of ISRO’s second launch pad in Kulasekarapatinam was released.”
Annamalai said the DMK is the reason that Tamil Nadu lost Satish Dhawan Space Center to Andhra Pradesh.
“The amount of desperation only proves their attempt to bury their past misdeeds, but we must remind them that DMK was why the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is today in Andhra Pradesh and not Tamil Nadu,” Annamalai said.
“When the first launch pad of ISRO was conceptualised, TN was the first choice of ISRO. TN CM Annadurai, who could not attend the meeting because of severe shoulder pain, deputed Mathiyazhagan, one of his ministers, for the meeting,” he further mentioned.
“ISRO officials were kept waiting for a long time, and Mathiyazhagan was finally brought to the meeting in an “inebriated state” and was incoherent throughout the meeting. And this was the treatment our country’s space programme received 60 years ago. DMK hasn’t changed much and has only become worse!,” he added.
However, DMK MP K Kanimozhi defended the party and advertisement after the saffron camp’s backlash saying that China is not an enemy of India.
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She further took a jibe at PM Modi saying that the latter had earlier invited the Chinese president and they went to Mahabalipuram.
“I don’t know from where the person who did the artwork found this picture. I don’t think India has declared China an enemy country. I have seen that the Prime Minister has invited the Chinese PM and they have gone to Mahabalipuram. Just because you do not want to accept the truth, you are finding reasons to divert the issue,” the DMK leader said.
The ISRO spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam, the second in Tamil Nadu, is set to be a significant development for India’s space sector, focusing on the launch of Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs).
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)