Nepal Parliament Passes Bill to Approve New Map Which Includes Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura Regions
The new map now includes the contested territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal. Amendments, through the Bill, have been made to the Constitution of Nepal to categorise these territories as "integral" part of the nation.
Kathmandu, June 13: Amid the ongoing war of words with India, the Nepalese government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli passed a Bill to approve a new map which includes three disputed regions as part of the Nepal territory. The new map, which replaces the incumbent outline of the nation, was approved via the Constitution Amendment Bill that was passed with brute majority in the 275-member Assembly.
The legislation was tabled by the ruling Communist Party of Oli, and was supported by all political fronts including the Nepali Congress and the Madhesi Party - which is considered to be pro-India. Security Personnel Opens Fire on Indians, One Dead, Says DG SSB Kumar Rajesh Chandra.
An elected member of the Madhesi Party who had earlier voiced her rebellion against the Bill was asked by the party high command to withdraw her objections and support the law in national interest.
The new map now includes the contested territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal. Amendments, through the Bill, have been made to the Constitution of Nepal to categorise these territories as "integral" part of the nation.
Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura - located on the Indian side - were first claimed by Nepal as their territories back in 1989. The KP Oli government upped the ante over the issue since 2019, and had recently accused India of making a "fake assertion" that the Kali river is the point of demarcation in the region.
Update by ANI
This is the first major land dispute between India and Nepal - the Himalayan neighbours considered as natural allies. Several analysts have linked the aggressive stance of Kathmandu to their increasing bonhomie with Beijing.
The border row with Nepal comes amid tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - that demarcates India and China. The tensions erupted in May after the latter reportedly increased their area of patrolling.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2020 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).