KATHMANDU:
The Former MP’s Forum, Nepal has termed construction and inauguration of a road by India in Nepal’s territory, Lipulek, when Nepal is fighting against the global pandemic of coronavirus as India’s incursion tendency.
Issuing a press release today, Forum president Omkar Prasad Shrestha stated that the Forum objected to India’s such act and calls upon it to return Nepal’s territory at the earliest.
The Forum also reminded that the official map dating back to the Sugauli Treaty period itself proved that territories including Lipulek-Kalapani are Nepal’s, and urged India to take this fact in mind.
Stating that India has been dillydallying for talks and hence creating intransigence on this issue which needed to be taken to its logical conclusion through dialogue, the Forum has wondered why the topic of holding talks at the Foreign Minister’s level which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had proposed through a letter to India was neglected.
“It is clear from the Sugauli Treaty signed between then British India and Nepal in 1816 that India’s territory is only on the other side of the Mahakali river. The stream originating from Limpiyadhura itself is the Kali river as per the universal principle of hydro morphology and scientific criteria,” the Forum has argued in the press release.
The Forum has suggested holding talks at the Prime Minister level for repatriation of the entire Nepali territory encroached by India. It has also called on the government to take concrete and effective steps to resolve the problem.
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