Nepal has reiterated its position on the Lipulekh area, with government spokesperson and Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Sasmit Pokharel, stating that the disputed territory belongs to Nepal.

He emphasised that the government remains committed to resolving the issue through diplomatic means, noting that the Foreign Ministry had already issued a formal note and that India had responded. Pokharel underlined that Nepal’s stance is clear and consistent, and that dialogue between the two countries is the appropriate path to address the matter.

India, however, has firmly rejected Nepal’s claims. On Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs described the unilateral enlargement of territorial claims as “untenable.” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that India’s position has been consistent and clear, pointing out that Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954.

He added that the pilgrimage through this route has continued for decades and is not a new development. Jaiswal further stated that Nepal’s claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence.

India has also expressed openness to constructive engagement with Nepal on all bilateral issues, including boundary disputes, but insists that such matters must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than unilateral actions.

The MEA reiterated that artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted.

The dispute has resurfaced as India recently opened the route to the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage via Lipulekh Pass, scheduled to operate from June to August 2026. Nepal formally objected to this move by sending diplomatic notes to both India and China, asserting its claim over the territory.

This echoes the developments of May 2020, when the KP Sharma Oli-led government in Nepal issued a new map incorporating Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani through a constitutional amendment. India had rejected that map at the time, calling it contrary to bilateral understandings and not grounded in historical evidence.

The Lipulekh Pass, situated at an altitude of around 17,000 feet in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, remains strategically significant as a route to Kailash Mansarovar. The dispute continues to be a sensitive issue in India–Nepal relations, with both sides maintaining firm positions but acknowledging the need for dialogue.

The matter underscores the broader complexities of boundary negotiations between the two neighbours, where historical claims, strategic interests, and cultural ties intersect.

ANI