Kathmandu. Nepal's newly appointed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has again staked claim on India's territory as soon as he took power. He has said that the areas east of the Mahakali river including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh belong to Nepal. However, he has also expressed commitment to resolve border issues with India through diplomacy.

India has completely rejected it

It is worth noting that Oli has been staking claim on Indian territories earlier as well. India has completely rejected Nepal's claims. Oli was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal on 15 July. Responding to questions from MPs a day after winning the trust vote in the House of Representatives, Oli said on Monday that Kathmandu is "clear and firm" about its international border.

Oli told these areas as his own

Oli said areas east of the Mahakali river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh, belong to Nepal as per the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, though Oli added that Nepal is committed to resolving border issues with India through diplomacy.

Agreement to resolve dispute through diplomacy

Oli said Nepal has adopted a new map which was incorporated through the second amendment to the Constitution in 2017. It mentions that there is a national consensus about our international border. Oli said, in the meetings held between the Prime Ministers of Nepal and India during high-level visits, there has been a consensus between the two countries to resolve border issues through diplomatic mechanisms.

There was tension in the relationship between the two countries

Nepal-India border related issues were also discussed during the 7th Nepal-India Foreign Minister level Joint Commission meeting held on January 4. Relations between the two countries came under strain after Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020. It showed three Indian territories Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh as part of Nepal. India outright rejected Nepal's new political map.