Nepal, on Friday, announced that its new Rs 100 currency notes will have a map of the disputed territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. In response to the Nepalese government's announcement, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar made India's stance very clear and stated that this was a "unilateral decision" taken by Nepal.
When asked about the new notes, the external affairs minister stated that both countries are in talks regarding their boundary disputes and this decision regarding the new notes would not change the ground reality.
"I saw that report. I have not looked at it in detail, but I think our position is very clear. With Nepal, we were having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. And then in the middle of that, they unilaterally took some measures on their side. But by doing something on their side, they are not going to change the situation between us or the reality on the ground," stated the External Affairs Minister.
A spokesperson for the Nepali government announced that the council of ministers had taken the decision to print the new map of Nepal.
Nepal Introduces New Note For Rs 100 Currency
"The meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda' took a decision to print the new map of Nepal, which includes the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in the ₹ 100 denomination bank notes," stated an official statement from Rekha Sharma, who is also the Minister for Information and Communication.
"The cabinet approved to re-design the banknote of ₹ 100 and replace the old map printed in the background of the bank note during the cabinet meetings held on April 25 and May 2," Sharma added further.
This decision comes after Nepal completed the process of updating the country's political map to include the disputed territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.
Nepal, which shares its border with five Indian states - Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand - stated that these three territories are an integral part of the Himalayan country.
India Denies Nepal's Territorial Claims
India has referred to Nepal's territorial claims as a "unilateral act". The claims put forth by Nepal have been recognized by New Delhi as "untenable" and "artificial enlargements".
Furthermore, India maintains the stance that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura are Indian territories.
In 2023, China has carried out a similar activities and released a new map in which parts of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region were marked as Chinese territory.
Along with this, China also included Taiwan and the nine-dash line in the South China Sea as its territories. New Delhi has slammed the recent claims by China over Arunachal Pradesh, stating that the northeast state "was, is and will always" be a part of India.
