Now, Nat Geo shows Arunachal in China, Kashmir in Pak

The BJP today asked the government to take up the issue of Arunachal Pradesh being shown as part of China, and Kashmir as belonging to Pakistan, in maps published by the National Geographic.

The BJP on Monday asked the government to take up the issue of Arunachal Pradesh being shown as part of China, and Kashmir as belonging to Pakistan, in maps published by the National Geographic.

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"When a Parliamentary forum led by Speaker Meira Kumar visited Westminster in London recently, it saw a global map in the British Parliament showing Arunachal Pradesh as part of China and a part of Kashmir as part of Pakistan, though it is represented by an MP in our Parliament," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

On enquiries, the delegation -- of which Rudy was also a member -- was informed that the map had been made by National Geographic. "We lodged a protest with the authorities there," he said.

China has indulged in repeated incursions into Arunachal Pradesh and even refused to accept it as part of Indian territory. Similarly, Kashmir has been considered a contentious region by some organisations abroad which have depicted it as part of Pakistan.

The BJP MP maintained that earlier when he had visited Japan as part of a similar delegation, he had come across a similar map in one of the Japanese ministries. Congress MP Manish Tewari was with him, Rudy said.

"Now it has come to light that in Australia also a similar map is in use in government departments. We have pointed this out to the ministry of external affairs but the Government of India has failed to respond or to act on it," Rudy said.

He maintained that all these maps have been printed by National Geographic and the government should take up the matter immediately with that organisation.