Kathmandu, May 5: India has objected to the Nepal government’s decision to print 100 rupee banknotes featuring the country’s new map that shows the areas of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepali territory.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday approved the proposal to print new 100 rupee banknotes replacing the old map of Nepal in the background of the notes’ front face with the new country’s new map.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed displeasure at Nepal’s decision, terming it unilateral. He said that while both countries were having talks on boundary matters, Nepal is not going to change the ground reality by taking unilateral measures.

"I saw that report. I have not looked at it in detail, but I think our position is very clear. With Nepal, we were having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. And then in the middle of that, they unilaterally took some measures on their side. But by doing something on their side, they are not going to change the situation between us or the reality on the ground," The Indian Express quoted Jaishankar as saying during an interaction with professionals in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

On May 20, 2020, the Nepal government issued a new political map of the country incorporating the areas of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepali territory.

India took strong exception to the decision, calling it a "unilateral act" and terming as “untenable” the “artificial enlargement” of the territorial claims by Nepal. India claims that the three areas belong to it.