Debate arose on topic of map in Dehli, India requests to understand cultural implications

NEW DEHLI, June 1: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” – who is on a four-day visit to India at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – has shown interest in the map of “Akhanda Bharat” placed in the newly built Parliament Building of India.

On the first day of his visit on Wednesday, Prime Minister Prachanda’s interest was piqued by Nepali territory being included on the “Akhanda Bharat” map as he expressed it to Indian Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra; a member of PM’s team tells Ratopati.

There has been an all-around protest in Nepal after India placed the map including Nepali territories like Kapilvastu and Lumbini in its parliament.

When PM Dahal expressed his concern about the map during the informal discussion with Doval and Kwatra, the Indian side requested him to think of the map in cultural context instead of political context.

“We believe that you will think of the map culturally rather than politically. The cultures of Nepal and India are pretty similar,” a source quoted the Indian side.