Nepal Betrays India, unanimously passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to update the country’s map incorporating three Indian territories on Thursday. It has come out with a new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.
All the 57 members voted in support of the bill. The Nepal-India relations turned sour after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 8 inaugurated the 80-km long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand.
Nepal was unhappy with New Delhi’s decision to construct a road in the particular area, Kathmandu protested the inauguration of the road and came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.
All 57 members of the National Assembly, or the upper house of the Nepalese parliament, voted in favour of the amendment bill. “There was no voting against the bill and none of the members voted for the neutral category as well,” National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Timilsina said.
While asserting that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura are Nepal territories, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has vowed to “reclaim” the areas from India.
Nepal’s House of Representatives on June 13 passed a bill to in order to amend the country’s political map and include strategic areas bordering India to its territory, such as Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, in the country’s Constitution.
Nepal Opposition parties, including the Nepali Congress (NC), Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) had voted in favour of the bill to amend Schedule 3 of the Constitution to update the national emblem by incorporating the new controversial map
India had strongly protested against Nepal’s decision terming the move as a violation and an artificial enlargement of claims.
Rajnath Singh on June 15 had called for cordial relations with Nepal, saying, “Indo-Nepal ties are not ordinary, we are bound together by ‘roti-beti’ and no power in the world can break it.”
While addressing a virtual rally, the defence minister tried to allay Nepal’s fears over the road connection Lipulekh pass with Dharchula, saying it was meant to facilitate the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
“Earlier pilgrims used to go to Mansarovar, through the route of Nathula Pass. It was a longer route but now BRO has built a link road till Lipulekh. This has brought a new route to Mansarovar…It is an 80 km long road, built in the Indian region,” Singh said.
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