West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee rubbished the allegation of distributing distorted maps of India
The BJP today alleged that some schools in West Bengal had distributed a distorted map of India among Class 10 students appearing in the pre-board examination and claimed that the Trinamool Congress' (TMC) teachers' cell was responsible for the goof-up.
State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, however, rubbished the allegation and said it was a conspiracy hatched by the saffron party to malign the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.
"The map of India distributed among the students in some schools during the Madhyamik Test examination 2017 for the Geography paper showed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh as not parts of the country," BJP state general secretary Raju Banerjee alleged.
The TMC teachers' cell was responsible for the goof-up, he claimed at a press conference and showed a map bearing the watermark of the 'WBBSE' (West Bengal Board of Secondary Education).
Ms Banerjee said the saffron party had written to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, seeking appropriate action in the matter.
Mukul Roy, who had recently quit the TMC to join the BJP, described the matter as "serious".
"It is a serious allegation. Our leader has brought the matter to the Centre's notice and they will probe the matter," he said.
Mr Chatterjee expressed doubts about the authenticity of the map showed by the BJP leader, saying maps distributed by the WBBSE among students did not bear a watermark.
"The maps distributed among the students in the Madhyamik (Test) examination do not contain a watermark of the WBBSE. We use unique codes," he told reporters.
The TMC leader alleged that the BJP was doing this to malign the Mamata Banerjee government as the people of the state had rejected the saffron party.
Mr Chatterjee, who is also the state parliamentary affairs minister, said legal action would be initiated against the BJP leader in connection with the matter.
"I have asked the WBBSE to lodge a complaint with the police in this regard," he added.