Chinese flag in ad designer’s mistake: Anitha Radhakrishnan

THOOTHUKUDI: A day after his advertisement related to ISRO’s new launch complex in Tamil Nadu caused a row for featuring Chinese flag, DMK leader and Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan on Thursday said it was a gaffe by the designer. The Minister stressed that it was only a mistake and they (DMK) had no other intentions.

“A small mistake happened in the advertisement. We have no other intention. We have only love for India in our hearts,” Radhakrishnan said, adding that it is his party’s stand that India should stay united without giving any room for clashes on the grounds of caste or religion.

The Minister said it was the late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi who first voiced the demand for a new launch complex of ISRO at Kulasekarapattinam. Also, Chief Minister MK Stalin and Thoothukudi Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi had all along urged the Centre to set up the launch complex in the state, he told reporters. This is why it was decided to give an advertisement to highlight the efforts made by the DMK leaders to bring the project to Tamil Nadu, the Minister said. Those who designed the advertisement made a gaffe, which went unnoticed by them, the Minister said.

BJP leader and Union Minister L Murugan, however, demanded that the DMK apologise to the people for publishing that advertisement.

On the DMK’s stand that the ‘China’ reference was a mistake, Murugan said, “It is our duty to put the Indian flag (in advertisement) and they (DMK) must apologise to the people. Only India’s achievements have to be showcased. The country’s achievements in space technology and the new ISRO complex in Tamil Nadu are the nation’s pride.”

Earlier, in a post on X, the PM had said, “DMK’s advertisement today is hilarious. They have insulted Indian science and the Indian space sector, for which they must apologise.”