Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday said that the country will soon reclaim the territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura from India. It comes as India and Nepal have entered into a border dispute for many days now. Taking a jibe at India, Oli also said that Nepal believes that India would not go against its motto of ‘Satyamev Jayate.’
“‘Satyameva Jayate’ (truth alone triumphs) is the inscription featured on the State Emblem of India — a four-faced lion. Nepal believes India would not go against that motto in treatment with Nepal,” Oli said.
On Monday, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyaali said that the official map will soon be made by the Ministry of Land Management. “Decision of the Council of Ministers to publish the map of Nepal in 7 provinces, 77 districts and 753 local level administrative divisions including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani,” Gyaali had tweeted.
India and Nepal share a 1,800 km open border. Nepal has 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.” Kathmandu also claims the highly strategic areas of Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. However, the Indian troops have been deployed there since New Delhi fought a war with China in 1962.
After Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently inaugurated a new road connecting the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand with Kailash Mansarovar route in China, Nepal has protested against it.