Tamil Nadu BJP wishes CM Stalin in ‘Chinese’ on his birthday; nothing offensive, says Annamalai

Chennai, March 1

The BJP’s Tamil Nadu Media cell on Friday extended birthday greetings to DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin in what appeared to be in Chinese language, in an apparent dig at the recent controversy over a ‘China flag’ in a DMK advertisement for an ISRO launch complex coming up in the state.

The saffron party’s state unit chief K Annamalai said he did not find anything ‘offensive’ about the post on X as DMK leader Kanimozhi has reportedly stated that China was not India’s enemy.

‘On behalf of @bjptnmediacell, here’s wishing our Honourable CM Thiru @mkstalin avargal a happy birthday in his favourite language! May he live a long and healthy life!’ it said, with an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leaders including JP Nadda and Annamalai, besides that of Stalin.

When asked about this, Annamalai said “Kanimozhi said China is not an enemy country. So what’s wrong in wishing our Chief Minister in Chinese? That is what our IT wing people have done. I don’t find anything offensive,” he told reporters.

At a rally in Tirunelveli on Wednesday, PM Narendra Modi strongly criticised the DMK for being ‘oblivious’ to the nation’s achievements in the space sector, after a newspaper advertisement by a state minister belonging to the spaceport kicked up a row over what the BJP claimed had a ‘Chinese flag’.

The Tamil Nadu BJP had then alleged that in the advertisement in a daily, the DMK used ‘Chinese flag’ and ‘Chinese language’ to claim credit for bringing the new ISRO complex at Kulasekarapattinam, located near Thoothukudi in the state.

On Thursday, DMK leader and Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan, who issued the advertisement, said it was a gaffe by the designer.

The minister, who had given the advertisement on behalf of his party, stressed that it was only a mistake and DMK had no other intentions.