Saritha Giri had sought to keep the old map on the national emblem
Kathmandu:
A Nepalese lawmaker was sacked by his party on Tuesday for challenging its decision to unanimously approve the constitutional amendment to revise the map of the country to include three strategically key Indian territories, local media reported.
Opposition party Janata Samajbadi (JSP) has decided to sack Sarita Giri for raping the party’s whip and withdrawing his amendment registered with the Secretariat of Parliament against the Nepalese government’s second amendment to the Constitution.
A three-member panel led by party secretary general Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav recommended that the party sack Ms. Giri as a legislator and party member, and the meeting of party officials made the decision on Tuesday, said the Kathmandu Post.
The constitutional amendment, which aimed to update the country’s new administrative and political map with the national emblem, was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on June 18.
The JSP and the main Nepalese opposition congress supported the decision of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government.
Contrary to her party’s official position on approving the new card, lawmaker Sarita Giri has tabled a separate amendment proposal at the Parliamentary Secretariat.
Ms. Giri had sought to keep the old map on the national emblem, arguing that there was no clear evidence to claim Lipmiyadhura, Lipu Lekh and Kalapani as Nepalese territories.
The Samajbadi party asked Ms. Giri to withdraw the amendment and warned her of internal action, but she refused to resume her proposed amendment.
India-Nepal bilateral relations were strained after Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launched an 80-kilometer-long strategic route from Lipulekh Pass to Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8.
Nepal reacted strongly to the inauguration of the road, claiming that it crossed Nepalese territory. India has rejected the claim claiming that the road lies entirely within its territory.
Nepal then released the revised political and administrative map of the country claiming strategically key areas, more than six months after India released a new map in November 2019.
India then strongly urged Nepal not to use any “artificial enlargement” of land claims.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
