No map dispute with Nepal: MEA

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 2

India today denied that a new map issued after the reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir in any way incorporated territories from Nepal. The clarification by the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs came after Nepal’s Supreme Court called for original map exchanged with India during the signing of the Sugauli Treaty in 1816.

The petition claimed that Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani areas were shown under India’s territory even though they lay within the Nepalese territory.

The controversy had ignited in early November after the government issued a new map leading to Nepal government responding by stating that it “firmly believes that Kalapani is part of Nepal” and warned that “any unilateral actions along the Nepal-India border will be unacceptable” to it since the foreign secretaries have already been assigned by the Nepal-India Joint Commission to find a solution on the unresolved border disputes in consultation with border experts.

“The new map has in no manner revised our boundary with Nepal. The boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing under the existing mechanism. Our map accurately depicts the sovereign territory of India,” said the MEA spokesperson.

Earlier today, Nepal’s Supreme Court had sought the country’s original map exchanged with India during the signing of the Sugauli Treaty in 1816 after a petition sought the apex court’s intervention to secure the Nepali territory.

Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal demanded the map from the Nepal government in response to the public interest litigation filed by a senior advocate who appealed to the Supreme Court to order the government to start political and diplomatic efforts to protect Nepali territories. (With PTI inputs)