'Will bring back Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh', says Nepal PM Oli

Kathmandu, Jan 11: As his government faces political instability, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli asserted that it will take back the territories of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh from India after the relations between the two countries were strained due to the border row.

 

Addressing a session of the Nepal National Assembly, PM Oli said, "Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh which are located east of the Mahakali River belong to Nepal as per the Sugauli Treaty. We will get them back through diplomatic talks with India." His remarks come mere days before the Nepalese foreign minister is set to visit India amid strained ties between the two neighbors.

 

 

 

"Our foreign minister will visit India on January 14 during which his discussion will be centered on the issue of the map that we have published with the inclusion of the three territories," Oli told Nepalese legislators.

 

Earlier, last year, Nepal had stirred up controversy after it showed Indian territories - Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal in a new political map. India, on the other hand, had condemned it saying "unilateral" act and urged the Nepalese government to refrain from "such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity".

 

These gestures by Nepal had led to a worrisome development giving the good cordial relations India enjoyed with its Himalayan neighbor for ages. However, these disputes between Indo-Nepal ties were improved as it took a phone conversation between Oli and Narendra Modi to break the odds. Following the telephonic conversation, India has separately sent RAW chief Samant Goel, Army chief Gen MM Naravane and foreign secretary Harsh Shringla to Kathmandu.

 

Meanwhile, Oli had dissolved the House of Representatives amid the increasing discontent against his leadership and feuds within the ruling party. President Bidya Bhandari announced the dissolution and declaring fresh elections in May 2021.