Amid the ongoing border dispute with India, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the virus from India “looks more lethal” than Chinese and Italian. During a speech in the parliament, Oli took a dig at India and blamed it for the coronavirus spread in the nation. “Those who are coming from India through illegal channels are spreading the virus in the country and some local representatives and party leaders are responsible for bringing in people from India without proper testing,” Oli said. “It has become very difficult to contain COVID-19 due to the flow of people from outside. Indian virus looks more lethal than Chinese and Italian now. More are getting infected,” Oli also said.
It comes days after the Nepal cabinet approved a new official map which included the disputed territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani. On Monday, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyaali had said that the official map will soon be brought out 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 on Monday.
Both neighbours have entered into a dispute ever since India inaugurated a new road connecting the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand with Kailash Mansarovar route in China. Nepal has protested against the move saying that the territory belongs to it. India’s position is totally contrary to the existing understanding between the two nations, Nepal has alleged.
Both countries share a 1,800 km open border. Nepal has said it has “consistently maintained” that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), which states “all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal.”
Nepal also claims the possession of the highly strategic areas of Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. Nevertheless, the Indian troops have been deployed tin the areas since New Delhi fought a war with China in the year 1962.
