KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balen Shah has come under intense criticism following remarks made during a question-and-answer session in the House of Representatives on Sunday, where he stated that Nepal had also encroached on Indian territory.
The statement triggered immediate objections from opposition lawmakers inside Parliament and has since drawn widespread criticism from political leaders, constitutional experts and members of the public on social media.
Constitutional expert calls remarks ‘serious’
Constitutional expert Bhimarjun Acharya described the prime minister’s comments as highly unusual and serious.
Writing on social media, Acharya said the suggestion of involving a third country in a bilateral border dispute was particularly concerning.
He argued that no previous Nepali prime minister had made such remarks either inside or outside Parliament and warned that the statement could undermine Nepal’s longstanding position on territorial disputes with India.
Political leaders react
Former deputy prime minister and communist leader Bhim Rawal urged Nepalis to reject the prime minister’s statement, describing it as a matter of serious national concern.
CPN-UML leader and former foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali called the remarks objectionable, questionable and condemnable. He demanded that the prime minister withdraw the statement and issue a public apology.
Nepali Congress leader Chandra Bhandari said Nepal has not encroached on the territory of any neighboring country and asked the prime minister to disclose the basis, evidence or official documents supporting his claim.
Bhandari stressed that Nepal respects the sovereignty of neighboring states and that border issues should be addressed through a unified national policy, effective diplomacy and concrete initiatives.
Calls for clarification
Chair of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rajendra Lingden, also criticized the remarks, saying it was inappropriate for the prime minister to make such statements on a sensitive issue from the rostrum of the sovereign Parliament. He called on the government to clarify the facts surrounding the issue.
CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said the statement had deeply hurt the Nepali nation and its citizens. He described the remarks as baseless and objectionable and urged the prime minister to retract them and publicly apologize.
Reactions beyond politics
The controversy extended beyond political circles, with public figures also weighing in.
Artist and actor Deepak Raj Giri appeared to mock the prime minister’s remarks in a social media post, while political leaders from smaller parties also criticized the statement.
Meanwhile, Chair of Shram Sanskriti Party Harka Raj Rai also expressed disapproval through social media.
The controversy follows Shah’s parliamentary remarks that Nepal had contacted not only India and China but also the United Kingdom regarding the Lipulekh-Kalapani-Limpiyadhura dispute and his claim that border encroachment concerns existed on both sides of the Nepal-India border.
As criticism continues to mount, the prime minister has yet to issue a clarification or response to the demands for an apology.
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