BJP's pro-CAA rally features 'wrong map of India' in Karnataka; netizens call out

BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje sparked a row after sharing an 'incorrect' map of India during a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally in Karnataka's Chikamaglur. In photos shared from the event, the senior BJP leader stood in front of the poster with a map of India, that included Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in Pakistan's territory.  Netizens were quick to point out that the misinterpretation of the map and distortion of international boundaries. 

The BJP Parliamentarian faced serious flak on social media for missing the half part of Kashmir in the map of India, which New Delhi has strongly maintained as its own territory. In the tweet, Karandlaje shared photos of the "huge crowd" that came out in support of the contentious CAA in Karnataka. The event organised by Rashtra Jagarana Samiti, Karandlaje said that the "signature campaign" was kicked off in the presence of a "nationalistic crowd." 

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In December last year, senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor had landed himself in trouble after tweeting an incorrect map of India. He shared information on the protest against the CAA and posted a wrong photograph of the map of India. The Congress MP later deleted the tweet. In retaliation, BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra, in fury, took on Shashi Tharoor for sharing the wrong map and demanded an apology. 

Karnataka pro-CAA campaign 

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on January 5 accused Congress of creating 'confusion' among the Muslim community over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He was on a door-to-door campaign to make people aware of the CAA and to allay their fears. This campaign is part of BJP's larger push to drum up support for CAA after extensive backlash across India throughout December.

"Unnecessarily, the members of Congress are creating confusion among the Muslim community. I assure you that not a single Muslim will be affected because of CAA," said CM BS Yediyurappa.

The BJP government has drawn huge flak from citizens across India against the CAA that fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim immigrants from neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The government said the law is necessary to provide relief to thousands of people fleeing persecution in those countries because of their faith. Opponents of the law contend that the bill purposely leaves out Muslim immigrants and does not provide relief to those fleeing similar persecution in neighbouring Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

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