BJP demands Sonia Gandhi's apology over booklet row
The BJP was quick to mount an attack on Congress for the booklet-blunder seeking an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The BJP said that it was shocking that a senior Congress leader like Ghulam Azad had done this and went on to ask: "Is Congress speaking the language of Pakistan?" BJP added that this would've gladdened the heart of Congress's patrons in Pakistan.
Congress releases booklet showing J&K as Indian-occupied Kashmir
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad released a booklet in Lucknow that showed a map depicting Jammu and Kashmir as Indian-occupied Kashmir, making way for a controversy. Azad was in Lucknow to highlight the failures of the Modi government in the past 3 years. He said that the Modi government had been inept in handling China and Pakistan too.
Wrong depiction of India's map, a punishable offence
According to the norms of Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 wrong depiction of India's geospatial information such as showing Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir can amount to almost 7 years in jail and a fine between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 100 crore.
Congress calls the booklet a 'clerical mistake'
Defending the faux pas of publishing a booklet with Jammu and Kashmir depicted as Indian-occupied Kashmir, the Congress party said that the print was 'a clerical mistake.' Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed affirmed that "Kashmir is an integral part of the nation and that the portion illegitimately occupied by Pakistan belongs to India".
Congress reminds BJP of its own map blunders
Another Congress leader Raj Babbar said that those responsible for printing the booklet had taken responsibility and that BJP should not make an issue out of it. Highlighting a similar error on BJP's part, Congress leader Ajay Maken said on 28 March 2014, a map had been published in the presence of PM Modi and it had depicted Arunachal Pradesh as part of China.
