JOIN USThe publication of a map with parts of Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan in RSS mouthpiece —Organiser— provided fodder for the Opposition to corner the government in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
The Congress and other opposition parties pounced upon the opportunity and asked whether the government approved it.
As soon as the House assembled in the morning, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue, pointing out that the Organiser published the map depicting Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Pakistan.
“Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of India and it will remain so. Numerous sacrifices have been made to maintain it as the crown,” Azad said.
Rubbing it in, he said the BJP and the RSS have always made the biggest noise whenever foreign magazines showed PoK as part of Pakistan. “Does the government approve the map (published by RSS)?” he said.
Telecom Minister Ravishankar Prasad said Jammu and Kashmir “is an integral part of India” and it is an “undisputable fact”.
“We will investigate (the matter). This is not the view of the Sangh, neither the BJP’s and nor that of the government,” Prasad said.
Opposition members continued to raise the issue with Satyavrat Chaturvedi wanting to know what action the government proposes to take against those responsible for publishing the defective map.
Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said the government must clarify whether it will take action against those responsible.