The BBC on Tuesday apologised for any offence prompted and rectified what it termed because the mistaken use of an inaccurate map of India, which had the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir completely lacking, triggering a proper letter of grievance by Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma.
In a video broadcast about President-elect Joe Biden on BBC World Service entitled ‘US Election 2020: What do countries around the world want from Joe Biden’, the graphic depicting the map of India was incompletely highlighted in pink with the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir lacking.
Sharma, who can also be chair of the Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), termed the motion as “deeply insulting” in a letter addressed to the Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tim Davie, and known as for an evidence of the editorial tips adopted.
“This map shows an incomplete India, it does not highlight Jammu and Kashmir which is recognised as a core and integral part of India. To represent Jammu and Kashmir as anything less than Indian is deeply insulting to millions of Indians living here in the UK and in India,” learn his letter, issued on Monday.
It known as on the BBC to withdraw the graphic and republish with the proper geographical boundaries and in addition known as for motion to stop this taking place once more.
“The BBC World Service is a fantastic resource, an amazing part of our soft-power and a real force for good around the world, this record is under threat if the World Service is perceived as partisan and ‘anti-India’ as is currently being asserted online. As a member of the International Development Select Committee, I have seen the great work the World Service can do, I do not want to see that put at risk,” added Sharma, who represents the closely Indian diaspora constituency of Ealing-Southall in west London.
His letter adopted a social media outpouring over the difficulty, with members of the Indian diaspora demanding speedy motion.
The BBC responded with an apology and up to date the web broadcast with the map of India reflecting the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir in the usual format utilized by the information channel within the UK.
“From London we mistakenly published a map of India online which contained inaccuracies and is not the standard map used by BBC News. It has now been corrected. We apologise for any offence caused,” a BBC spokesperson stated.
