KATHMANDU: Shram Sanskriti Party Chair Harka Sampang has challenged Prime Minister Balen Shah to provide evidence supporting his claim that Nepal has encroached on Indian territory, warning that the statement must otherwise be corrected in Parliament.
Addressing the House of Representatives on Monday, Sampang said the prime minister’s remarks made on May 31 had raised serious concerns about Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Every nation has its own geography. Instead of adopting policies to protect and defend our territory from encroachment, the prime minister has spoken against the country,” Sampang said.
He demanded that Shah either substantiate his claim with evidence or formally retract the statement before Parliament.
“The prime minister should either show where Nepal has encroached on Indian land or stand in Parliament and correct his words,” he said.
Sampang also called for the deployment of the Nepali Army along the country’s borders, arguing that national security and border protection should be its primary responsibility.
“We should station the Nepali Army at the border and deploy it for border security. The army is meant to protect the country’s frontiers, but it is currently engaged elsewhere,” he said.
The Shram Sanskriti Party leader further rejected suggestions that the controversy could be addressed by other government representatives.
He said responses from Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane or Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal would not be sufficient.
“The words came from the prime minister himself, and they must be corrected by the prime minister himself,” Sampang said. “I am not necessarily asking him to apologize, but he should correct his statement and have it removed from the parliamentary record.”
His remarks come amid continued obstruction of House proceedings by opposition parties, which have been demanding that Prime Minister Shah personally clarify his controversial comments regarding Nepal-India border issues.
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