- Nepal PM claims territorial encroachments exist on both sides.
- He advocates for dialogue and joint review of historical records.
- Opposition and former diplomats question his claims of Nepal’s encroachments.
- Both nations agree diplomacy is the preferred resolution method.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Sunday stirred a political controversy after claiming that territorial encroachments between India and Nepal have occurred on both sides of the border, as he addressed Parliament on the long-standing dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.
Speaking during the ongoing parliamentary session, Shah said the issue should be resolved through dialogue and a joint examination of historical and survey records rather than through confrontation.
“The Nepal government has officially sent a diplomatic note to India, mentioning the issue of encroachment of territories by India, including Lipulekh, and we have already received their response,” Shah told lawmakers.
He said both countries had agreed to pursue a diplomatic solution with the assistance of historians, surveyors and technical experts.
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Shah Calls For Joint Review Of Border Claims
Addressing questions from lawmakers regarding Nepal’s position on the disputed territories, Shah said the issue was more complex than commonly perceived.
“You will be surprised to know about a fact, which I have learnt recently, only after becoming the Prime Minister. India has not only encroached Nepalese territories, but Nepal has also encroached India’s territories in many places,” he said.
The prime minister stressed that both nations should carefully study historical evidence and resolve outstanding issues as friendly neighbours.
“Now both countries should study the facts and sit together as friends and resolve the issue,” he added.
The disputed areas of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani lie near the tri-junction of India, Nepal and Tibet. India maintains that the territories are part of Uttarakhand and has consistently said the matter should be settled through bilateral discussions.
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Remarks Trigger Political Backlash
Shah’s comments immediately drew criticism from opposition lawmakers and former diplomats, who questioned the basis of his assertion that Nepal had encroached on Indian territory.
Opposition leaders Basana Thapa of the Nepali Congress and Ramesh Malla of the Communist Party demanded that the statement be removed from parliamentary records unless supporting evidence was produced.
Former Nepal foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali also reportedly sought an apology from the prime minister over the remarks.
The controversy quickly spread to social media, where many users criticised Shah’s comments, while several experts dismissed the claim outright.
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Former Diplomats Reject ‘Encroachment’ Claim
Former Nepal ambassador to India Nilambara Acharya said there was no official record suggesting Nepal had occupied Indian territory.
According to Acharya, around 97 per cent of border-related issues between the two countries have already been resolved.
He acknowledged that some farmers on both sides occasionally use land across the border due to missing boundary pillars, but stressed that this could not be interpreted as state-backed encroachment.
Another former ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, also questioned the prime minister’s remarks.
“India has also not raised this issue on record. So far we have conducted studies, but this issue has never surfaced. I don’t know in which context the prime minister spoke about such a serious matter,” he said.
Border expert and geographer Buddhi Narayan Shrestha similarly rejected the assertion, stating that Nepal has never formally occupied Indian territory.
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Nepal Border Issue Remains Unresolved
Shah also revealed that Nepal has discussed the matter with both China and the United Kingdom, noting that historical agreements dating back to the British colonial era remain relevant to the dispute.
Earlier this month, Nepal reiterated its commitment to resolving the border issue through diplomatic channels. The remarks came after India rejected Kathmandu’s objections regarding the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route through Lipulekh Pass, describing Nepal’s territorial claims as a “unilateral artificial enlargement” that New Delhi considers untenable.
Despite periodic tensions over the disputed region, both countries have maintained that dialogue remains the preferred mechanism for addressing outstanding border concerns.
(With inputs from PTI)
