Nepal Parliament approves new map which includes Indian territory

New Delhi, June 13: Snubbing India, Nepal's parliament on Saturday passed a constitutional amendment bill in a move to update the country's map, which includes Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura that India claims as its own.

On Saturday, Nepal's Parliament voted on the map laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura along the border with India, notwithstanding a strong protest by New Delhi.

Major Opposition parties including Nepali Congress (NC), Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) voted in favour of the government bill to amend Schedule 3 of the Constitution to update the national emblem by incorporating the new controversial map.

A two-thirds majority was required in the 275-member House of Representatives or the lower house to pass the bill.

On June 9, Nepal's cabinet endorsed a new political map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura under its territory, amid a border dispute with India.

India maintains that these are part of Uttarakhand.

"Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India," Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, had said last month.

"Nepal is well aware of India's consistent position on this matter and we urge the Government of Nepal to refrain from such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he had added.

India also urged Nepal to refrain from such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope that Nepalese leadership will create a positive atmosphere for diplomatic dialogue to resolve the outstanding boundary issues, the MEA spokesperson also said.

Army Chief General MM Naravane today said that India has a very strong relationship with Nepal.

"We have a very strong relationship with Nepal. We have geographical, cultural, historical, religious linkages. We have very strong people to people connect. Our relation with them has always been strong and will remain strong in the future," General Naravane was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Nepal had alleged that India had encroached upon its territory by deploying soldiers, building a temple and creating an artificial river.

Nepal's Prime Minister, K P Oli said that India had built a Kali Temple, created an artificial Kali river and deployed Indian Army personnel in order encroach upon the Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. He said that these earlier belonged to his country.

Oli also criticised, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath for advising Nepal for not committing the mistake of ratcheting up a territorial dispute with India. He said that these remarks were not acceptable to the people of Nepal.

Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura were based on historical records and India should return the areas it had encroached upon.