Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin extended warm birthday wishes to his Kerala counterpart, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Friday. The greeting was posted on Stalin’s official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) page.
“Wishing a very happy birthday to Hon’ble @CMOKerala Thiru @PinarayiVijayan! May you have a year filled with good health and success,” read the message.
The birthday wish comes a day after Chief Minister Stalin wrote to CM Vijayan, urging the halting of the construction of a check dam across the Silanthi River. This construction has sparked the latest row between the neighboring states, which have a history of water disputes, most notably the ongoing controversy over the Mullaiperiyar dam.
The Mullaiperiyar dam issue has long been a point of contention, with Tamil Nadu seeking to maintain and strengthen the dam’s structure while Kerala expresses concerns over its safety and the potential impact on downstream areas. The new conflict over the Silanthi River check dam construction has further strained relations between the two states.
Despite these ongoing disputes, the birthday message from Stalin highlights a gesture of goodwill and personal respect between the two leaders.