The new Rs 100 denomination banknotes that have been issued by Nepal’s central bank. (Image: PTI)

Calling it a “unilateral act”, India on Thursday denounced the new Nepal map printed on its currency note, which depicts three areas within India’s border.

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the issuing of the new Rs-100 banknote by Nepal with a controversial map is a “unilateral act” that “does not change ground reality”.

In what can be seen as a bid to escalate existing border disputes, Nepal issued the banknote with a new map of three Indian territories — Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura. New Delhi responded by saying all three belong to India.

Nepal’s central bank, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), recently issued the new Rs-100 notes that feature a revised map, including Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. The controversy, however, has roots in events from May 2020 when now-fallen KP Sharma Oli-led government initially unveiled a new political map showing these areas as Nepal’s territory, which was later endorsed by the Parliament.

India had reacted sharply at that time as well, calling the revised map a “unilateral act” and cautioning Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims would not be acceptable to it.

This Rs-100 note is the only denomination among banknotes (which also include Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000) that bears Nepal’s map. A faint green map of Nepal is visible in the background at the centre of the new note.

An NRB spokesperson said the map was already present in the old Rs-100 banknote and has been revised as per the government’s decision. The new note, which bears the signature of previous Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari, carries the issuance date 2081 BS, denoting the previous year, 2024.

Beyond the disputed map, the Rs-100 banknote features other national symbols, including Mount Everest on its left side and a watermark of Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron, on the right. It also features the Ashoka pillar near the map with the text “Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha”. On the back, there is a picture of a horned rhino.

Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km that with five Indian states: Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

(With agency inputs)