Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that his government will seek a solution to the Kalapani issue through diplomatic efforts and dialogue on the basis of historical facts and documents. “We will get back the land occupied by India through holding a dialogue,” Oli said while responding to questions in parliament Wednesday.
Oli claimed that India built a Kali temple, created ‘an artificial Kali river’ and ‘encroached the Nepalese territory through deploying the Army’ at Kalapani. The river defines the border between the two countries.
Oli’s claim comes in midst of a raging boundary row between the two countries with India sternly asking Nepal not to resort to any ‘artificial enlargement’ of territorial claims after Kathmandu released a new political map laying claim over Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.
The ties between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated May 8 an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand.
Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road. It claimed that the road passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory.
Nepalese officials say that Nepal had control over the area before 1962, when the India-China war took place. At that time India stationed its army seeking permission from the then Nepalese rulers for temporary purpose, but it never removed its forces.
Although there are border issues in other areas such as Susta but the government has given priority to Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as Nepali territories have not been captured by deploying army in other parts of its international border, Oli said in response to a question in Parliament.