BJP leaders lashed out at the Congress party on Thursday as its leaders in Karnataka installed banners with a ‘distorted’ map of India. The posters were installed ahead of a CWC meeting in Belagavi and portrayed “Kashmir as part of Pakistan”. Senior BJP leaders have since accused the Opposition group of ‘vote bank politics’ and insisted this was evidence of the party’s links to powers that are “trying to break India.”
“Karnataka Congress has shown utter disrespect for India’s sovereignty by displaying a distorted map at their Belagavi event, portraying Kashmir as part of Pakistan. All this just to appease their vote bank. This is shameful!” the state BJP handle wrote on X.
The saffron party noted that the map shared by Congress excluded the Gilgit region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Aksai Chin region currently under Chinese administration—both considered integral parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress workers have installed the ‘controversial’ posters throughout the town of Belagavi ahead of an event in the area. The party is holding its CWC meeting on December 26 and 27 in Belagavi to celebrate the centenary of its 1924 session.
The posts have prompted an outcry from the ruling party — with several leaders also calling for a case to be registered against the organisers. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that the ‘distorted’ maps underscored the ‘Bharat todo, tukde-tukde‘ mindset of Congress. The senior BJP leader deemed the incident an attack on the “sovereignty” and “unity” of India.
“The Indian Map they have put up…Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin are not there. They have done similar things in the past as well…so I want to express my pain…now it has become clear, the power that is trying to break India, Congress’ connection with them has become clear now,” said BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi.
“RaGa’s Mohabbat ki Dukaan is always open for China! They would break the nation. They’ve done it once. They’ll do it again,” contended the official party handle.
(With inputs from agencies)
