Nepal PM's Border Remarks Trigger Political Storm in Kathmandu

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Kathmandu: Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah has ignited a fierce political storm in Kathmandu after making controversial remarks during his maiden appearance in Parliament regarding the sensitive border dispute with India.

Addressing lawmakers on the Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura regions, Prime Minister Shah claimed that border encroachment is mutual, stating that Nepal has also occupied Indian territories in many places. 

The admission drew immediate, furious condemnation from opposition parties and border experts, who argued that acknowledging any Nepalese encroachment severely compromises Kathmandu's official diplomatic and historical negotiating stance against New Delhi.

Seeking to manage the domestic backlash, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a swift clarification. Officials explained that the Prime Minister was referring strictly to localized ‘cross-border occupation’ and ‘no-man's land’ (Dasgaja) farming overlaps by local residents rather than any sovereign state territorial claims. This mutual farming across the boundary stems from missing border pillars and shifting rivers.

Photo Credits: PTI