The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday burned the copies of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece Organiser outside the Maharashtra assembly as a mark of protest after the publication printed a map of India showing parts of Jammu & Kashmir in Pakistan.

The opposition parties also staged a boycott of the Maharashtra legislature council after the permission to move motion condemning the RSS was denied to them.

“The RSS must apologise to the entire nation for gifting J&K to Pakistan. The organisation claims itself as the one with patriotic values, but its mouthpiece has printed this anti-national image. The leaders of RSS must tender unconditional apology to the country,” said Jitendra Awhad, MLA and senior leader of the NCP.

In council, MLC from the Lok Bharati party tried to move a motion condemning the RSS for publishing the wrong map of the J&K. “We as the citizen of India, must condemn such acts of the RSS which defame our country,” he said.

The opposition boycotted the proceedings of the house after the permission to move the motion was denied.

Congress’ senior leader and MLC Manikrao Thakre, the leader of opposition in the legislature council and leader of the NCP Dhananjay Munde too supported the motion.

“The editor of the Organiser has accepted the mistake and has printed the new map. We must acknowledge that they have accepted the mistake and we must move on,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat while answering the debate on this issue.