External Affairs Minister Raises Concern Over Unilateral Action by Kathmandu
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar voiced India's objection to Nepal's decision to introduce a new Rs 100 currency note featuring disputed Indian territories. He stated that New Delhi's stance is clear, emphasizing that Kathmandu had taken unilateral actions.
"I saw that report. I have not looked at it in detail, but I think our position is very clear. With Nepal, we were having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. And then in the middle of that, they unilaterally took some measures on their side. But by doing something on their side, they are not going to change the situation between us or the reality on the ground," said S. Jaishankar during an interaction with professionals in Bhubaneswar on "Why Bharat Matters."
The decision to include a new political map of Nepal on the 100 rupee banknotes was made during a cabinet meeting on Friday, covering the controversial territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani as part of its territory.
Tensions between New Delhi and Kathmandu escalated after Nepal issued a political map in mid-May 2020, including Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura, which India had included in its November 2019 map.
In May 2020, Nepal submitted an updated map incorporating the missing territories to the Ministry of Land Management by the Department of Survey, claiming to have taken accurate scale, projection, and coordinate system.
The previous map, issued in 2032 BS, omitted Gunji, Nabhi, and Kuri villages, which are now included in the revised map, adding 335 square kilometers of land.
Diplomatic tensions heightened after the inauguration of a road linking Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh on May 8, 2020, prompting Nepal to hand over a diplomatic note to India objecting to the move.
Nepal had strongly opposed India's unilateral construction of the road. In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that the road, located in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district, "lies completely within the territory of India."
Despite diplomatic tensions, discussions between the two nations on boundary matters continue, with India reiterating the need for bilateral dialogue to resolve disputes. However, the introduction of the new currency note by Nepal has further complicated the situation, raising concerns about the future of diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries.
