Nepal asks India to stop unilateral construction of roads

On Sunday, Nepal asked India to stop the unilateral construction and expansion of roads in its East Kali River territory. It comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to extend the road across the Lipulekh area, which Nepal claims as its own. Addressing an election rally arranged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Haldwani in Uttarakhand on December 30, Modi had declared that his government is further broadening the road constructed in Lipulekh in Uttarakhand. Nepal’s minister for Information and Broadcasting and Cabinet spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki told the media that territories, comprising Limpiadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani East of Kali River, are a vital part of Nepal and any construction or development of roads thereby India must be stopped. Any dispute over the border between Nepal and India must be settled via diplomatic channels based on historic documents, maps and documents true to the spirit of the bilateral relationship existing between the two nations. Nepal’s reply comes a day after India urged that the ongoing construction fell in Indian territory but suggested that any dispute could be settled via dialogue in the spirit of bilateral friendship. On Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu told the media that India’s position on its boundary with Nepal is renowned, consistent and unambiguous. Image Source Also read: India and Nepal ink MoU for building a bridge in Uttarakhand