Anger has been mounting since India on Friday inaugurated an 80km road in Uttarakhand state leading up to the Lipu Lekh pass, high in the Himalayas. Foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali summoned Indian ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra to hand over a protest note over the road, foreign ministry spokesman Bharat Raj Poudyal said. In response, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said the contested road "lies completely within the territory of India." Nepal protested to both in 2015 when they issued a statement listing the Lipu Lekh pass as a bilateral trade route. Kathmandu also claims the Kalapani region, which adjoins Lipu Lekh, although Indian troops have been deployed there since India and China fought a border war in 1962.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 11, 2020 13:52 UTC