“We have already made our position clear on this matter,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
File photo of Nepal Parliament (Photo Credits: hr.parliament.gov.np/)
Nepal’s Parliament passed an amendment on Saturday to include a new political map to the country’s Constitution. This map includes Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, areas Nepalese PM KP Sharma Oli claims belong to Nepal.
In response, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Anurag Srivastava said, “We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian Territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter.”
“This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Saturday evening.
The amendment was passed in Nepal’s Parliament with 258 of 275 votes. It is also worth noting that not even a single member of the Nepal Parliament voted against the amendment and even the country’s opposition parties such as NC, RJP-N and RPP voted in favour.
A two-thirds majority in the lower house of Nepal’s Parliament was required to pass the government bill to amend Schedule 3 of the country’s constitution. By means of this amendment, Nepal’s national emblem will now carry the political map.
