Nepal renews territorial claim over Lipulekh, seeks dialogue with India

Kathmandu: Nepal on Monday renewed its territorial claim over Lipulekh while advocating dialogue with India to resolve the issue, a day after New Delhi flatly rejected Kathmandu’s stance on the region.India on Sunday flatly rejected Nepal’s objection to the upcoming Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the long-established Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, dismissing Kathmandu’s territorial claims over the region as “unilateral artificial expansion” that New Delhi deemed “untenable”.

New Delhi’s harsh reaction came hours after Nepal’s foreign ministry issued a statement objecting to India and China’s preparations for the annual pilgrimage through the Lipulekh Pass, claiming the region as its own.
“Nepal does not intend to expand its borders; the region belongs to Nepal and the government has a clear view on this issue and is committed to its stance,” Nepali government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel said while talking to the media.

Pokharel, who is also the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, said, “The problem needs to be resolved through cooperation and diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.”

He said that the Ministry of External Affairs informed India about the issue through an official letter.
The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has religious significance for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. The yatra resumed last year after a gap of nearly five years as part of efforts to normalize relations between India and China.

On April 30, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi announced that the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will be conducted from June to August this year via two routes – Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim.