New Delhi: RSS mouthpiece ‘Organiser' today tendered an apology for a map in an earlier edition which showed parts of Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan, saying it was an “inadvertent” mistake.
In its March 15 edition, the ‘Organiser' had used a map of Saarc countries along with an article “Quest for Reintegrating SAARC” where parts of PoK were shown as part of Pakistan.
The magazine's web edition had removed the map immediately, but it remained on Page 32 of the print edition.
Tendering an apology in the publication's latest edition, the editor of ‘Organiser' said, “The mistake was obviously inadvertent. The wrong map was immediately corrected in the web edition. We apologise to our countrymen and more particularly to our readers and well wishers.”
The apology, published in the form of a ‘Corrigendum' in its March 22 publication, further stated, “Organiser has established tradition of upholding the unity and integrity of India. We have always been arguing for the cause of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as indivisible and integral part of India.”
“Therefore, it has caused us a great pain that in the issue dated March 15, 2015 a map of South Asia obtained from the web source did not show certain parts of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir as Indian territory,” it further said.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad had raised the matter in Rajya Sabha yesterday asking whether the government approved of it.
“Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of India and numerous sacifices have been made to maintain it as the crown,” Azad said questioning if the government and BJP endorses the map as shown by RSS mouthpiece.
An embarrassed government promised to investigate the matter, with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying this was not its stand and neither of the Sangh.
He said Jammu and Kashmir is and will remain an integral part of the country and there was a resolution adopted by Parliament on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a part of India.
