Nepal’s Upper House passes bill on new map showing India’s territories, to get president’s assent
In June, the bill was passed unanimously in the Lower House of the Nepal Parliament.
Nepal’s Upper House on Thursday unanimously passed a bill to update the country’s new map demarcating the Lipulekh mountain pass, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura under its territory, PTI reported. The country has maintained that India has claimed these places by building a road despite repeated objections.
All of the members of the Upper House voted in favour of the bill. “As many as 57 members voted for the bill,” National Assembly chairperson Ganesh Timilsina said, according to The Kathmandu Post. There was no voting against the bill and none of the members voted for the neutral category as well.”
The bill will now be sent to President Bidya Devi Bhandari for authentication.
On June 13, the Lower House of the Nepal Parliament had voted in favour of an amendment to the Constitution to alter the country’s map. All the political parties of the Pratinidhi Sabha voted in favour of the motion moved by the government of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. India had rejected the move, saying Nepal’s artificial enlargement of claims is “not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable”.
However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had on June 14 said India’s ties with Nepal are “not ordinary” and that “no power in the world” can break their relationship. Singh added that the Centre wants to sort out its misunderstanding with the neighbouring country through dialogue.
Nepal unveiled the new map on May 20 after Singh inaugurated Darchula-Lipulekh link road on May 8. Nepal had earlier strongly protested when the updated Indian map published in November last year showed the region as part of Uttarakhand. Nepal has repeatedly claimed this was a breach of an agreement between the two countries, but India has said the new route is “completely within the territory” of the country.
Oli had told the Nepalese Parliament in May that his government would reclaim the disputed region. He had also blamed India for the spread of the coronavirus in his country.