Not tenable: India after Nepal Parliament’s lower house clears bill to redraw political map

India on Saturday reacted strongly after Nepal Parliament’s lower house cleared a bill to redraw the political map of the country showing Indian territories as its own. Responding to the development, India said that “this artificial enlargement of claims is not tenable.”

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday (June 13, 2020) reacted strongly after Nepal Parliament’s lower house cleared a bill to redraw the political map of the country showing Indian territories as its own. Responding to the development, India said that “this artificial enlargement of claims is not tenable.”

"We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter," India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Saturday.

The MEA spokesperson said that the artificial enlargement of claims is not tenable since it is not based on historical facts or evidence.

"This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues," he added.

The strong reactions from New Delhi came shortly after the Lower House of Nepal's Parliament unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to redraw the country's new political map, laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura along the border with India.

According to reports, leading Opposition parties, including Nepali Congress (NC), Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), voted in favour of the government bill to amend Schedule 3 of the Constitution to update the national emblem by incorporating the new controversial map.

A two-thirds majority was required in the 275-member House of Representatives or the lower house to pass the bill.

It may be noted that Nepal’s Parliament had on June 9 unanimously endorsed a proposal to consider the Constitution amendment bill to pave way for endorsing the new political map amid the border row with India.

Now, the bill will be sent to the National Assembly where it will undergo a similar process. The ruling Nepal Communist Party commands a two-third majority in the National Assembly. The NA will have to give lawmakers 72 hours to move amendments against the bill's provisions, if any.

After the National Assembly passes the bill, it will be submitted to the President for authentication, after which the bill will be incorporated in the Constitution. The Nepal government had on Wednesday formed a nine-member team of experts to collect historical facts and evidence related to the area.

Diplomats and experts, however, questioned the government's move, asking why the task force was formed when the map has already been released and approved by the Cabinet.

India, on the other hand, has been maintaining that these three areas belonged to it. "We have already made our position clear on these issues. India deeply values its civilisation, cultural and friendly relations with Nepal," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Anurag Srivastava had said on June 11.

The ties between the two countries came under severe strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 80-KM-long road on May 8. Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory.