In a soup for the Kashmir map controversy, Congress has admitted it was party’s responsibility to ensure that such a mistake was not allowed and that the present case was a “printing error”. The party also apologised for the mistake.
The grand old party was being trolled on social media after publishing a booklet that labelled Kashmir as ‘Indian Occupied Kashmir’. The Congress apologised for the “big mistake” and said it was a “printing error”. It, however, claimed the BJP had released a similar map on its website but never admitted to the mistake.
“This is a printing error. This was our responsibility. We seek apology. Such mistakes will never be repeated. Unlike BJP, we are a party which can seek apology if there are any mistakes,” former Union Minister Ajay Maken said.
Maken recalled that the ruling party’s website on March 28, 2014 depicted a similar map. He also claimed a map which was released the same year in September during the signing of a treaty with China in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had shown Arunachal Pradesh as part of China.
The booklet was released by senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in lucknow on the occasion of the third anniversary of the BJP-led Government at the centre in order to attack the administration over national security affairs, including the handling of relations with Pakistan and China.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “It is not only regrettable but shocking that a senior Congress leader like Azad is projecting a map of Kashmir where it is described as Indian occupied Kashmir. Is Congress speaking the language of PakistanIJ”