PoK referred to as Azad Kashmir in Madhya Pradesh Class 10 paper
Bhopal, Mar 08: The opposition BJP hit out at the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh after a class 10 question paper of the state board referred to Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK) as "Azad Kashmir".
The term appeared in the class 10 social science paper of the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE), the exam for which was conducted on Saturday morning.
Azad Kashmir is the term used by Pakistan to refer to POK.
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After the controversy broke out, two officials were suspended on the directives of Chief Minister Kamal Nath, an MPBSE official said. The two questions were also canceled.
One of the questions asked the candidates to identify "Azad Kashmir" on the map. The term also occurred in a match- a-pair question.
Speaking to PTI, state BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal, who shared image of the question paper on Twitter, said, "Kashmir is an integral part of India. The Indian government has passed a resolution to this effect. Has Madhya Pradesh's Congress regime recognized Azad Kashmir?"
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He also alleged that senior Congress leaders use the "same terminology" as do Pakistan and separatists.
He
also
demanded
that
a
sedition
case
be
registered
against
the
person
responsible
for
this
gaffe.
Congress
spokesperson
Narendra
Saluja
said
chief
minister
Nath
expressed
anger
over
the
incident.
On
Nath's
orders,
two
officials
were
suspended,
Saluja
added.
An MPBSE official said the paper setter and the moderator were suspended and disciplinary action would be taken against them.
The questions in which the term Azad Kashmir figured were canceled and the social science paper would thus carry 90 instead of 100 marks, he added.