KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress has expressed strong objection to the agreement between China and India to operate the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route through Lipulekh.

A meeting of the party’s Central Work Execution Committee held on Monday at the party headquarters in Sanepa raised concerns over the agreement reached between the two countries regarding the pilgrimage route.

In its decision, the party stated:

“Nepali Congress, maintaining that Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani are Nepali territory, calls for respect for Nepal’s sovereignty and welcomes the diplomatic notes sent by the Government of Nepal to both India and China. It recalls the historical fact that during 2015, the government led by then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, under the leadership of the Nepali Congress, had already sent diplomatic notes to both countries asserting that all areas east of the Mahakali River—including Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura—are inseparable territory of Nepal. Any agreement made between two countries without Nepal’s consent or knowledge cannot alter historical reality, and therefore the party urges both governments to correct it immediately.”

The meeting also drew the government’s attention to its handling of squatters’ issues, stating that enforcement actions were being carried out without proper arrangements.

The Nepali Congress said, “Providing housing to genuine squatters and landless citizens is a constitutional and legal responsibility of the state. The law also clearly states that those who illegally occupy public land under the guise of being squatters must be identified and punished through legal and procedural means. We have already made it clear that the Nepali Congress fully supports the government in implementing these constitutional and legal provisions.”