Nepal President approves new map that includes 3 Indian territories

Kathmandu

India has already termed as “untenable” the “artificial enlargement” of the territorial claims by Nepal after its lower house of Parliament on Saturday unanimously approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it.

Last month, Nepal released the revised political and administrative map of the country laying claim over the strategically important areas, more than six months after India published a new map in November 2019. The bill was authenticated by President Bhandari on Thursday afternoon as per the constitutional provision, according to a notice issued by her office.

Earlier in the day, the National Assembly, or the upper house of the Nepalese parliament, unanimously passed the Constitution amendment bill providing for the inclusion of the country’s new political map in its national emblem.

The bill to amend the Constitution to update the new map was tabled in the National Assembly, the upper house on Sunday, a day after the House of Representatives unanimously endorsed it. All 57 members of the National Assembly, who were present on the occasion, voted in favour of the amendment bill.


CONTENTIOUS MOVE

• The new political map features Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas, which India maintains belong to it
•  All 57 members of the National Assembly voted in favour of the amendment bill
• The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula