BJP today took strong exception to a London-based sports management firm unilaterally altering the map of Jammu and Kashmir and representing the Valley's borders as disputed in an IPL-6 TV production manual.
"Cricket is not above country and therefore cannot be allowed to violate J&K's territorial integrity," BJP national executive and J&K's chief spokesman, Dr Jatinder Singh said while referring to the alterations made to the state's borders in a manual printed by International Management Group (IMG).
The BJP leader alleged that IMG in its 76-page IPL-VI TV production manual mentioned that borders of Kashmir are in dispute.
India, Pakistan and China have differing claims and therefore the borders of India may not be correct, the organisation wrote in its manual.
"While in the map on page 37 of the Manual, some areas of Kashmir are missing, in the map on page 72, the alleged 'disputed' areas are marked with dotted lines, which is a clear affront to the sovereignty and self-respect of India," Singh said.
The BJP leader wondered what the BCCI was doing when this mischief was going on and the Manual was being circulated.
Singh was also critical of the External Affairs Ministry and the Chief Minister of the State, Jammu and Kashmir for not taking any action against the organisation.
"Why the External Affairs ministry has chosen to maintain a convenient silence and why the J&K chief minister, who is otherwise so very Twitter savvy and a self-confessed cricket fan, silent on an issue which is so sensitively concerned with his own State," Singh questioned.
The BJP leader also described certain references in the manual as being racist and biased.
Singh, in this regard, referred to a caption written below the map, which warns against alleged Malaria endemic in India saying, "This map must be used in conjunction with the Malaria advice text. Bite avoidance (from malaria mosquito) measures should be taken in all areas."
He, meanwhile, said that the BCCI contract with IMG should have ensured that the latter "confines itself" to the brief regarding cricket and does not use the opportunity to "interfere with the sanctity of India's territory or heritage."
The BJP spokesperson called upon the Union External Affairs ministry to take immediate cognisance and described it as yet another "disgrace" to the UPA government.
