New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- Planning to wish Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday tomorrow? Well, now you can. The Times of India has rolled out a rather unusual initiative - offering itself as a platform for citizens to send birthday wishes to the PM.

In print and digital ads, the media house described the occasion as "an opportunity to celebrate India's visionary leader on an important milestone of his life," inviting readers to share their greetings either through the TOI website or by calling its representatives listed in the advertisement.

The move, however, sparked sharp reactions online. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra questioned the paper's stance, comparing it to North Korea, while several users suggested the campaig...