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On Thursday, 26 December, BJP claimed that during its Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Belagavi, Karnataka, the Congress party showed an incorrect map of India. According to the BJP, the map incorrectly depicted Aksai Chin and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as belonging to China and Pakistan, respectively.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi raised the issue during a press conference in Delhi, citing a social media post by BJP Karnataka’s official handle. The post alleged that the Congress had “disrespected India’s sovereignty” by using a distorted map.
“This is shameful! Congress has a history of disrespecting the integrity of India for vote bank politics,” the BJP’s Karnataka unit posted on X.
@INCKarnataka, 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!#CongressInsultsIndia #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/ql9JG73Dm9
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 26, 2024
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. pic.twitter.com/JKXXLEnFxB
— BJP (@BJP4India) December 26, 2024
Trivedi accused the Congress of aligning with “anti-India forces” and questioned whether the map’s depiction was influenced by external entities. “Why is India’s map being shown after removing parts of the country? Is this a coincidence or a deliberate anti-India experiment?” he asked, suggesting the involvement of global forces like billionaire investor George Soros.
Congress says, ‘Controversy out of Jealousy’
Congress leaders dismissed the allegations, with Karnataka Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stating that any banners with anything wrong would be removed. “If there is any mistake, we are rectifying it. The BJP is simply trying to stir controversy out of jealousy,” he said.
Congress leader Srinivas BV also denied the claims, accusing the BJP of spreading lies to disrupt the celebration of the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress session in 1924.
BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal demanded legal action, citing violations of geospatial information standards and the National Honour Act. He urged the Belagavi police to register a case against the event organizers for displaying a “wrong map of India.”
The Janata Dal (Secular) also criticized the Congress, terming the act “treasonous” and accusing the party of appeasement politics. “Distorting the map of India is a criminal act. This reflects Congress’ anti-national mentality,” the JD(S) said in a post on X.
The CWC meeting in Belagavi holds historical significance as it marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the 1924 Congress session. Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, are attending the two-day event.
