KATHMANDU, May 5: India has expressed discontent over the Nepal government's recent decision to feature the country’s new map on Rs 100 notes. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam (S) Jaishankar expressed dissatisfaction, labeling Nepal's move as unilateral.
Following a cabinet meeting last Thursday, the Government of Nepal resolved to replace the existing map on 100 rupee notes.
Nepal, India must talk, resolve issues
When questioned by Indian journalists, Foreign Minister Jaishankar reiterated India's stance, emphasizing that while maps may change, ground realities remain unchanged.
Journalists from India asked Foreign Minister Jaishankar about it during an interaction with intellectuals/professionals in Bhubaneswar on Saturday titled ‘Why Bharat Mattars’. While responding to that, Foreign Minister Jaishankar said, “Our position is clear, even if the map changes, the reality on the ground does not change.”
Stating that he did not have detailed information about the decision of the Nepal government, he said that Nepal had made a unilateral decision when it was under discussion at the mechanism established between the two countries.
He said, “With Nepal, we are having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. In the middle of that, they unilaterally took some measures on their side.”
In 2020, Nepal's government, led by CPN-UML Chairman and then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, released a new political and administrative map, incorporating territories such as Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani. These areas have been forcibly occupied by India.
