The Nepalese Congress has declared that it will vote in favor of the amendment.
New Delhi:
The decision to update the new map of Nepal – which includes a stretch of land in the mountains that India claims to be its own – has gained momentum, with the left-wing power alliance now proposing a project of law of amendment to the constitution. The Nepalese opposition congress has said it will vote for the amendment amid friction with India over the issue. The assurance of the opposition means that the bill, which requires a two-thirds majority, will be adopted.
Earlier this month, the ruling party cleared the map, prompting a strong reaction from India, which called the move “unilateral” and not based on historical facts.
“Such an artificial widening of land claims will not be accepted by India,” said Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Nepal is well aware of India’s consistent position on this issue and we urge the government of Nepal to refrain from such unjustified cartographic claims and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India”, a he added.
Nepal has claimed the territory, which borders the border with China, under a treaty with the East India Company during the British period.
The new map – released to the public earlier this month – shows a strip of land east of the Kali River, protruding from the northwest tip of Nepal. The area includes the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand as well as Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, which are highly strategic areas that India has guarded since the 1962 war with China.
The controversy over the map surfaced when India opened a new road connecting the Lipulekh Pass with the Kailash Mansarovar Road in China on May 8. As Nepal protested, saying it wanted to set up a security post in the region, the Center said the road “is entirely in the territory of India” and follows the route used by pilgrims.
Earlier this month, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli also accused India of the spread of the coronavirus in his country. “It has become very difficult to contain COVID-19 due to the flow of people from outside. The Indian virus seems more deadly than Chinese and Italian now,” he said.
“Those who come from India illegally spread the virus in the country and some local representatives and party leaders are responsible for bringing people from India without proper tests,” Oli told parliament.
