Former Nepal PM Oli claims to 'take back' Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh from India

Former Nepal Prime Minister and Chairman of opposition party CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli has vowed to "take back" Indian territories of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh if he returns to power.

Former Nepal Prime Minister and Chairman of opposition party CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli has vowed to "take back" Indian territories of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh if he returns to power. This statement was made during his address at the inaugural session of the General Convention of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist in Chitwan.

"We have published a new map incorporating Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura which also is published in the constitution of the nation but we need to take those land back. We will take the land back through dialogue," Oli said as he addressed the crowd. The 10th General Convention of Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) is being held at Chitwan in Central Nepal which lies at a distance of about 160 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu.

Tensions between New Delhi and Kathmandu arose last year after the issuance of the revised political map by Nepal as India had included the tri-junction in its map issued in November 2019. Diplomatic ties between the nations worsened 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.

New Delhi had called Nepal move a "unilateral act" and cautioned Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.

(With inputs from agencies.)