India reacts sharply to Nepal’s parliament bill redrawing map

India today reacted sharply to a bill passed in Nepal's parliament redrawing the Himalayan nation's map which reportedly includes parts of the Indian territory.

It termed Kathmandu's action as "untenable."

Indian external affairs ministry's official spokesman Anurag Srivastava said, "This artificial enlargement of claims [by Nepal] is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable."

"It is also in violation of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues," he said in response to media queries on the passing of the constitutional amendment Bill by the House of Representatives of Nepal.

Nepal's parliament today voted on a constitutional amendment bill in a special session to update the country's map which includes a stretch of land high in the Himalayan mountains that India claims as its own.

All the 258 votes in the House of Representatives were in favour and the House has a total strength of 275 and the amendment bill was passed by a two-third majority.

Last month, Nepal's ruling party had cleared the map, drawing a sharp reaction from India which described the move as "unilateral" and not based on historical facts.

Ties between India and Nepal came under severe strain after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategic road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in the Indian state of Uttarakhand on May 8.

India controls Lipulekh, Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and its maps show the area as part of its territory. But this is contested by Nepal which responded fiercely to the inauguration of the road, claiming that it passed through its territory, India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory.