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KATHMANDU: Nepal protested India’s inauguration of a new road to China through the territory claimed by Kathmandu on Saturday (May 9), with police arresting dozens of protesters near the Indian embassy.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launched the 80km highway from Ghatiabagarh, in northern Uttarakhand state, to the Lipu Lekh Pass, high in the Himalayas, via video link on Friday.
The pass is claimed by Nepal based on an 1816 treaty that defines its western border with India.
Kathmandu also claims the contiguous and strategic Kalapani as part of its territory, although Indian troops have been deployed there since New Delhi waged war with China in 1962.
Last year, New Delhi released a new map showing Kalapani within its borders, a movement protested by Kathmandu.
Nepal’s foreign ministry condemned India’s “unilateral act” that “runs counter to the understanding reached between the two countries … that a solution to border problems would be sought through negotiations.”
He called on India “to refrain from any activity in the interior” on the territory.
Police said at least 38 people were detained when they gathered outside the Indian embassy in Kathmandu and other areas to protest the inauguration of the highway. A national blockade has been imposed on COVID-19 in Nepal.
Nepal protested to India and China in 2015 when the two countries issued a joint statement listing the Lipu Lekh crossing as a bilateral trade route.
The hashtag #backoffindia was trending on Twitter in Nepal on Saturday. The same hashtag gained popularity in 2015, when landlocked Nepal accused its southern giant neighbor of imposing a border blockade as the country recovered from two devastating earthquakes.
Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, a former ambassador to India, said the new path seeks to “disrupt cordial relations” between the two countries.
“Both sides have admitted that the territory is in dispute … But India’s unilateral and forceful move in the midst of the talks has severed the friendly relationship between the two neighbors,” he said.
