On June 13, 2020 – the House of Representatives unanimously voted to pass the second constitutional amendment to the Constitution of Nepal to update the political map of Nepal in the Coat of Arms of Nepal.
“All 258 lawmakers present in the meeting voted for the bill while there was no vote against it. I announce that the bill has been endorsed by more than a two-thirds majority,” Speaker Agni Sapkota announced.
For the updated national emblem to come into effect, the bill now needs to be endorsed by the National Assembly and authenticated by the President, Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
Indian Government was quick to issue a response to the passing of the Constitutional Amendment Bill revising the national emblem.
” We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter.
This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues.”
This amendment comes in light of the border dispute that was re-ignited after the inauguration of a link road through Lipukekh to Kailash Mansorovar in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China by Rajnath Singh, Union Defense Minister of India, on May 8, 2020.
In response, the Council of Ministers of Nepal issued a new administrative map on May 20, 2020, which included Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani; and introduced a bill in Parliament, on May 22, 2020, seeking to amend Schedule 3 of the constitution to update Nepal’s new political map in the Coat of Arms of Nepal.
