File photo used for representational purpose.

BENGALURU: For the second time since the Pahalgam terror attack, Karnataka Congress faced flak when it posted a map of Pakistan that included the territory of Jammu and Kashmir on its social media handle.The post was intended to criticise the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) decision to lend 1.7 billion dollars to Pakistan and included a map of the neighbouring country with their colours of their flag marking its territory. Jammu and Kashmir was also coloured green.The post immediately drew trolls and criticism and Congress, realising its mistake, removed the post. However, a screenshot of the post continued to be widely shared.BJP Karnataka, reposting a screenshot of the map,said: “Whose instructions are they following? Wazire-Ala Siddaramaiah? This isn’t a mistake, it’s a mindset. National interest comes last for Congress.”

With criticism mounting, KPCC president and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar stepped in to stem the tide. Terming it a “minor error”, he said the person responsible for the post was relieved of his duties. “Someone played mischief. All those involved in the mistake have been removed and the person has been sacked,” he said.This is the second time KPCC has landed in a controversy over maps. In Dec 2024, in celebrations to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Belagavi, Congress had posted a map without Jammu and Kashmir region. It was also trolled when it posted a message advocating “peace” hours after the launch of Operation Sindoor, a post it said was part of ‘Gandhi Bharata’ celebrations.