The Gujarat government on Tuesday refuted Congress' allegations regarding the map, which showed Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir as 'disputed regions', saying that the map cited Chinese cities and was not a part of the Memorandum of Understandings signed between India and China during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the state.
"The map is showing the location of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City in China. The map was neither signed by any officials of the Gujarat government nor endorsed by Government of Gujarat...The map was not part of the MoU signed," The Economic Times cited a statement from Gujarat government's press release.
On Monday, Congress alleged that the circulated copies of MOUs, signed between India and China on 17 September, showed Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir as disputed territories, and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for the mistake.
"In this MoU, Arunachal Pradesh has been shown as a disputed territory. The Prime Minister should apologise for this major lapse and blunder," Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi too said that the two states were presented in the map with dotted lines representing them as disputed territories and demanded apology from Modi as the mistake happened in his presence.
"This is a very serious matter. The goof-up took place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before the elections, Moditalked about not letting the country down. I would now ask him to walk the talk," Hindustan Times quoted Singhvi as saying.
Meanwhile, Gujarat additional chief secretary for industries and mines DJ Pandian refuted Congress' allegations and said that the map represented locations, geographical and population data of Guangdong Province and its capital.
"There was nothing like that. We had issued a map showing the location of Guangzhou in China that's all. I am surprised that educated people and even newspapers like ET are raising these questions," Pandian told the ET.
