Class 10 paper mentions Azad Kashmir, 2 officials suspended

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.

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 matcha-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?"

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.