Protests take place in Kathmandu
Nepal on Monday summoned the Indian envoy and handed a diplomatic note of protest over the construction of a link road that will reduce travelling time from India to the pilgrimage zone of Kailash Mansarovar in China’s Tibet.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra was met by Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali who conveyed Nepal’s territorial claims over the Kalapani region. The diplomatic note was in line with the statement from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which recalled the bilateral treaties and assurances, and urged India from carrying out any further activities in the region.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond formally till late on Monday though a social media post from the Embassy of India in Nepal stated that Mr. Kwatra had handed over a past statement of the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the Kalapani region located in the state of Uttarakhand. Nepal disputes India’s claims and maintains that the region is part of its sovereign territory.
In a telephonic conversation held with The Hindu on Sunday, Mr. Gyawali had stated that Nepal will strengthen border posts and deploy more forces in the country’s southern and western borders with India. Kathmandu also witnessed protests on Monday by the student organisation of the Nepali Congress, and the Rashtriya Seema Rakhsha Abhiyan.
With inputs from The Hindu