India-Nepal border row: India reacts sharply to new Nepalese map
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had on May 8, opened an 80-km road that ends at Lipulekh Pass on the border with China.
By IAR Desk
Reacting ssharplyto the new maps released by Nepal indicating parts of Indian territory as Nepalese, India on Wednesday, May 20, said it was “an unilateral act, not based on historical facts and evidence.”
“The Government of Nepal has released a revised official map of Nepal today that includes parts of Indian territory. This unilateral act is not based on historical facts and evidence. It is contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve the outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue. Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India,” India’s External Affairs Ministry Anurag Shrivastav.
Nepal had earlier on Wednesday unveiled a new political map of the country that depicted Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepalese territory.
The move came amidst a diplomatic row between the two neighbouring states after Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh had on May 8, opened an 80-km road that ends at Lipulekh Pass on the border with China.
The road was built so that pilgrims going to Kailash-Mansarovar in the Tibet Autonomous Region did not have to take high-altitude routes through Sikkim and Nepal.
Nepal’s foreign ministry had summoned the Indian envoy last week to protest against the construction of the road. New Delhi had, however, rejected Kathmandu’s protest, saying the Lipulekh region is “completely within the territory of India” and that both sides could resolve such boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue.
The new map had been approved by Nepal’s council of ministers during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday.
The Kathmandu Post quoted unnamed Nepalese officials as saying that the country’s total area has increased from 147,181 sq km to 147,516 sq km after the addition of “disputed land that is currently occupied by India”.
Stressing that Nepal “is well aware of India’s consistent position on this matter” India late on Wednesday night urged “the Government of Nepal to refrain from such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope that the Nepalese leadership will create a positive atmosphere for diplomatic dialogue to resolve the outstanding boundary issues,” the statement by Mr. Shrivastav said.
