BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over praise for Pulitzer Prize winners, objects citation on Kashmir

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's commendation of three Indian photojournalists for winning a Pulitzer Prize "for their powerful images of life in Jammu & Kashmir" has sparked a political row. Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand of the Associated Press won the Pulitzer in 'feature photography' category.

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BJP questions Rahul on Pulitzer citation

Soon after the Wayanad MP tweeted a news article of them winning the award and said they make India proud, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra pointed out that the award citation to those three journalists reads mentions Kashmir "as independent of India". Patra questioned whether Rahul Gandhi "concurs" with the citation.

In a video message posted on Twitter, Sambit Patra went on to ask whether Congress party president Sonia Gandhi concurs with Rahul on the issue of Kashmir "not being an integral part of India". He said that the Pulitzer citation mentioned Kashmir as a "contested territory" and that "India had revoked the independence of Kashmir through abrogation of Article 370".

"We firmly demand that Sonia Gandhi should come out in the open, hold a press conference and should clarify as to what is the stand of Congress Party on Kashmir. Do they consider Kashmir as an integral part of India or does it not?" Patra said.

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Pulitzer citation

On the Pulitzer Prize website, the citation below the three awardees read: "For striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout."

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