KATHMANDU: The National Assembly meeting was disrupted on Monday after lawmakers from various parties protested Prime Minister Balen Shah’s recent remarks suggesting that Nepal has also encroached on Indian territory.
As soon as the session commenced, members of the National Assembly stood in protest, expressing strong objections to the Prime Minister’s statement on Nepal-India border issues and demanding clarification from the government.
Lawmakers insisted that the Prime Minister personally appear before the National Assembly and explain the basis of his remarks, arguing that the issue concerns Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
National Assembly member Ram Kumari Jhakri questioned the timing of the statement, saying it may have been deliberate as it came on the eve of Ravi Lamichhane’s visit to India.
Jhakri said the Prime Minister’s claim was not in the country’s interest at a time when citizens living in border areas were actively safeguarding Nepal’s territory. She argued that such remarks undermine Nepal’s established position on border disputes with India.
“If a Prime Minister cannot firmly speak on issues concerning the nation’s borders, there is little expectation that he can protect the country’s sovereignty,” she said during the session.
Following objections from members across almost all political parties represented in the National Assembly, Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal suspended the meeting for 20 minutes.
The disruption comes amid growing political controversy over the Prime Minister’s comments in Parliament regarding Nepal-India border issues, which have drawn criticism from opposition parties and prompted calls for an apology and retraction of the statement.
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