"I might go later," Nepal PM on impending visit to disputed trijunction in Uttarakhand

Kathmandu [Nepal], March 21 (ANI): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday announced that he doesn't have immediate plans to visit the disputed trijunction of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani.
Oli made the statement while answering the question raised by opposition lawmaker, Buddhiman Tamang about his possible visit to the disputed trijunction with India.
"A member of the parliament questioned when I would be visiting those (disputed) areas. I don't have any immediate plans to visit, I might go later," the Prime Minister said during the Question Answer session in the parliament.
Oli furthermore added that the disputed area was included in the old political map of Nepal, blaming the monarchy for removing it. As a correction, he claimed to reissue the map hitting on the monarch supporters.
"We all know that till 1962 AD, the incumbent (political) map of Nepal, which we have reissued and the parliament had endorsed it unanimously as an integral part of our constitution. It is the ultimate truth. It is an established fact that in 1962, those areas (Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani) were Nepali territory and the map of Nepal was also used that way. Meaning, the map which is being used now was in existence back then before 1962. After that, why was the map changed? Who changed it? Who was leading the government and the political system, it is well evident," Oli remarked referring to the party-less Panchayat system of the Himalayan Nation introduced by then King Mahendra.
Responding to the second question put forward by opposition lawmaker Tamang about the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), Oli stated that the government is working to ensure the report of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), jointly formed by Nepal and India, will be accepted through mutual understanding between both countries.
"Regarding the query about the EPG report, Nepal hasn't refused to accept it. The Eminent Persons Group (EPG) had agreed to first submit it to the Indian Prime Minister and then submitted to the Nepali counterpart. That is why it was first attempted to be submitted to the Indian Prime Minister. It is not something that can be accepted only by one side, or implemented only by one side; it incorporates Nepal-India relations' multi-faceted aspects suggesting the measures to uplift the level of friendship between the countries for which it was designated to make recommendations which would not undermine the relation. While doing so, it would care for equal justice and suggest long-term solutions to all the existing problems," Oli said.
In 2020, Nepal amended the constitution incorporating a new political and administrative map in the preamble constitution. The new map included the tri-junction of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh which has remained a disputed area between Nepal and India.
Nepal's updated map, which incorporates the missing territories, was prepared by the Department of Survey and submitted to the Ministry of Land Management. The Department of Survey claims to have taken accurate scale, projection, and coordinate systems. It was publicly released on May 20, 2020, after the go-ahead signal from the Cabinet meeting on May 18, the same year.
The department has collected a map drawn during the Treaty of Sugauli, another brought from London, receipts of payment of land revenues and the order issued by the then Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher, as evidence to claim that the land belongs to Nepal.
The earlier map issued in 2032 BS left Gunji, Nabhi, and Kuri villages, which have now been included in the recently revised map, adding 335 square kilometres of land.
Tensions between Delhi and Kathmandu last year arose after Nepal issued a political map in mid-May, including the tri-junction, which India had earlier included in its November 2019 map.
Diplomatic ties between the nations soured further after the inauguration of a road linking Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh on May 8, 2020, after which Nepal handed over a diplomatic note to India objecting to the move.
Before the handover of the diplomatic note, Nepal also had strongly objected to India's unilateral move to construct the road. Following a strong objection from Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said the road going through Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district "lies completely within the territory of India".
Nepal said it has "consistently maintained" that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), "all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal."
Indian Defence Ministry had said the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in Uttarakhand has connected Kailash Mansarovar route to Lipulekh pass, which will provide connectivity to border villages and security forces. (ANI)