Murals In New Parliament Building Draws Ire Of Nepal's Opposition

A mural in India's new Parliament building that depicts ancient sites such as Lumbini and Kapilvastu has kicked off a major controversy in Nepal. The mural has been interpreted as a map of Akhand Bharat or undivided India, which has drawn angry responses from opposition parties in the neighbouring country.

Former Prime Ministers of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai and K.P. Sharma Oli have spoken out against the Akhand Bharat mural in the new Parliament building.

Taking to Twitter, Bhattarai wrote, "The controversial mural of 'Akhand Bharat' in the recently inaugurated new Parliament building of India may stoke an unnecessary and harmful diplomatic row in the neighborhood including Nepal. It has the potential of further aggravating the trust deficit already vitiating the bilateral relations between most of the immediate neighbours of India."

"It would be prudent for Indian political leadership to unravel and communicate in time the real intent and ramification of this mural episode," he added.

Similarly, Nepal's leader of the main opposition CPN-UML party Oli also aired his disagreement. "That is not fair. If a country like India that sees itself as an ancient and strong country and as a model of democracy puts Nepali territories in its map and hangs the map in Parliament, it cannot be called fair," he was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.

The mural in the new Parliament building, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, marks important kingdoms and cities of the past and shows the influence of ancient India in the then Taxila, which is in present-day Pakistan. Likewise, areas of Bangladesh and Nepal have also been placed on the map of Akhand Bharat.

"The resolve is clear - Akhand Bharat," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had tweeted immediately after the inauguration.