BJP leaders on Thursday lashed out at the Congress as leaders in Karnataka installed banners with a 'distorted' map of India. The posters were installed ahead of a CWC meeting in Belagavi and depicted “Kashmir as part of Pakistan”. Senior BJP leaders have since accused the opposition group of 'vote bank politics', insisting it was evidence of the party's links with forces that are 'trying to break India'.
“The Karnataka Congress has shown total disrespect for India's sovereignty by displaying a distorted map depicting Kashmir as part of Pakistan at their event in Belagavi. All this just to appease their vote bank. This is a shame!” wrote the state BJP handle on X.
The saffron party noted that the map shared by Congress excluded the Gilgit region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well as the Aksai Chin region currently under Chinese administration – both considered integral parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress workers put up the 'controversial' posters in Belagavi town ahead of an event in the area. The party will hold its CWC meeting on December 26 and 27 in Belagavi to celebrate the centenary of its 1924 session.
The reports have sparked outrage from the ruling party – with several leaders also calling for a case to be filed against the organisers. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the 'distorted' maps are the 'Bharat todo, tukde-tukde'mentality of Congress. The senior BJP leader viewed the incident as an attack on India's 'sovereignty' and 'unity'.
“The Indian map they have drawn…Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin are not there. They have also done similar things in the past…so I want to express my pain…now that it has become clear, the power that India is trying to break, Congress's connection with them has now become clear,” he said . BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi.
“RaGa's Mohabbat ki Dukaan is always open to China! They would break the nation. They did it once. They will do it again,” the official party handle claimed.
(With input from agencies)
