Nepali caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has ruled out possibilities of holding elections, announced to be held in November, in the disputed tri-junction of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani.
Oli, who has dissolved the parliament and called for fresh elections in November, said that conditions were unfavourable in the field, when asked about plans to hold the polls in areas that were included in Nepal's map last year.
"The areas lying on East of Mahakali is of Nepal and we have issued our land in the political and administrative map and passed it (through parliament). Also, we have published it (map) in the Preamble of the Constitution. We are in serious dialogue with India about it," the beleaguered leader said.
"The reality that has existed since 58 years is that the Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani area had remained under the control of India. We are engaged in dialogue with India to bring it back. As long as it is in India's control and is not returned to Nepal, we cannot treat them with the behaviour as if they (disputed territory) are returned back. We are making efforts to bring it back from Indian control and we are in dialogue," he added.
Last year, Nepal amended the Constitution by incorporating a new political and administrative map in the Preamble. The new map included the tri-junction of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekhwhich, which has remained a disputed area between Nepal and India.
Nepal's updated map incorporating the missing territories was submitted to the Ministry of Land Management by the Department of Survey, which claims to have taken accurate scale, projection and coordinate system. It was publicly released on May 20, 2020, after being greenlit by the Cabinet meeting two days before.
The department had collected a map drawn during the Treaty of Sugauli, another one brought from London, receipts of payment of land revenues and the order issued by the then-Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher, as evidence to claim on the land belongs to Nepal.
The earlier map issued in 2032 BS had left Gunji, Nabhi and Kuri villages out of Nepal's territories, which have now been included in the lately revised map adding on 335 square km of its land.
Tensions between New Delhi and Kathmandu arose last year after the issuance of the revised political map by Nepal as India had included the tri-junction in its map issued in November 2019.
Diplomatic ties between the nations worsened after the inauguration of a road linking Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh on May 8, 2020, after which Nepal handed over a diplomatic note to India objecting to the move.
Prior to the handover of the diplomatic note, Nepal also had strongly objected to India's unilateral move of constructing the road. Following a strong objection from Nepal, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said the road going through Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district "lies completely within the territory of India".
Nepal said it has "consistently maintained" that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), "all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and LipuLekh, belong to Nepal".
The Indian Defence Ministry had said the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in Uttarakhand has connected the Kailash Mansarovar route to Lipulekh pass, which will provide connectivity to border villages and security forces.
( With inputs from ANI )
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