BJP wishes MK Stalin on his birthday in Mandarin amidst row over Chinese flag ad

As several political dignitaries extended birthday wishes to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, the one from the Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit through its official handle X caught everyone's attention.

The saffron party wished Stalin in Mandarin language, in an apparent dig at the ruling DMK over an advertisement on ISRO that featured a Chinese flag.

"On behalf of 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 post on X read.

The row erupted after the state government commissioned the ad showing the Chinese flag on Wednesday ahead of the foundation stone-laying event of the spaceport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During a rally in Tirunelveli on Wednesday, PM Modi slammed the ruling DMK government, saying that the ad has insulted India's scientists.

"Now they have crossed the limit. They have pasted the sticker of China to take credit for the ISRO launchpad in Tamil Nadu. This is an insult to our space scientists, the space sector, your tax money, and you (the country)."

The DMK leader who issued the ad, R Radhakrishnan, clarified that it was a gaffe by the designer and the party had no other intentions.