The Congress party once again courted controversy after it posted a social media message containing an incorrect map of India. In a tweet criticising the Centre, a significant portion of Jammu and Kashmir was incorrectly shown as part of Pakistan’s territory. The area in question was Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), which has been under illegal occupation by Pakistan since 1947.
India officially considers the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir including PoJK and Aksai Chin as an integral part of its sovereign territory. Despite this, Congress used a distorted map while targeting the central government. The post triggered sharp criticism, especially since this was not the first such occurrence from the party.
BJP Alleges Deliberate Anti-National Motive
The BJP responded swiftly, condemning the move and calling it a serious national lapse.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya strongly objected to the post, calling it a “deliberate and premeditated act.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “In an official post, the Congress party has shamelessly used Pakistan’s map of Jammu & Kashmir. Let’s be clear this is not an inadvertent error. It’s a premeditated act that reflects their long-standing mindset.”
Malviya further added that Congress has historically undermined India’s territorial claims, blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for what he called a dangerous concession on Kashmir, only resisted by the leadership of Sardar Patel, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
In response to mounting backlash, Congress deleted the tweet and removed the map from the associated video. However, the issue did not die down. Malviya continued his attack on the party leadership, even questioning the absence of Rahul Gandhi amid a national tragedy involving an Air India aircraft crash. “And while we’re speaking of misplaced loyalties We all know where Pak Army Chief Munir is in the US. But does anyone know where Rahul Gandhi is? The answer may unlock more than just his location. It may explain a lot,” Malviya posted.
Repeated Blunders by Congress
1. Shashi Tharoor’s Tweet (Dec 2019)
Tharoor posted a map omitting northern territories in India, including J&K and Ladakh, from his “Bharat Bachao” protest rally graphic. The tweet was deleted after backlash
2. Robert Vadra (Jan 2021)
Priyanka Gandhi’s husband tweeted a map excluding PoJK and Aksai Chin during the farmer protests. He later corrected it on Instagram
3. Youth Congress, Tripura (Jan 2021)
Youth Congress Tripura shared a farmers’ protest graphic missing all of Northeastern states of India plus PoJK and Aksai Chin, prompting criticism that they didn’t even know India’s geography
4. Shashi Tharoor’s Presidential Manifesto (Sept 2022)
Shashi Tharoor’s Congress presidential election manifesto included a map missing Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. He later apologised and issued a corrected version
5. Karnataka Congress (Belagavi, Dec 2024)
At a Working Committee event in Belagavi, Karnataka, the Congress showcased a banner map excluding PoJK, Aksai Chin, and even Arunachal Pradesh. The BJP flagged this as one of several recurring incidents
6. Bharat Summit – Munugode MLA’s Video (April 2025)
A video by Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy during the Bharat Summit in Telangana featured a map excluding PoJK and Ladakh widely criticised and quickly removed
7. Telangana Congress (May 2, 2025)
The Telangana Congress shared a promotional video on their official X account showing a map omitting PoJK and Ladakh, just a week after a similar error during their “Bharat Summit” event
8. Karnataka Congress (May 12, 2025)
The Karnataka Congress landed in trouble after it tweeted a wrong map of Jammu and Kashmir in a post intended to criticise the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) loan to Pakistan. The post was swiftly deleted once the error was flagged.
Accountability Beyond Deletion
Congress’s repeated use of distorted maps undermines India’s territorial integrity and continues to raise questions about the party’s internal review mechanisms. At a time when geopolitical sensitivities are high, such errors deliberate or not send the wrong signal both domestically and internationally. Corrective action must go beyond deleting posts.
