Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Opposition parties on Monday stepped up pressure on Prime Minister Balen Shah and demanded that he apologise and withdraw his statement that Nepal has occupied Indian territory in several places.
Answering queries raised by lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Sunday, Shah said he had learned after assuming office that not only has India encroached on Nepal’s land, but Nepal has also occupied Indian land in many places.
Speaking in the meeting of the lower house on Monday, lawmakers from several opposition parties criticized the statement as factually baseless, harmful to Nepal’s national interests, and damaging to the country’s position on border disputes.
Nischal Rai, whip of the Nepali Congress, said the prime minister’s remarks had lowered the dignity of all Nepalis and could have long-term diplomatic consequences. “The prime minister’s statement has made 30 million Nepalis bow their heads in shame,” Rai said. “The statement has been recorded in Parliament and will remain a precedent in future negotiations. Unfortunately, lawmakers from the ruling parties applauded it.”
He demanded that the prime minister apologise and provide factual details about any territory allegedly encroached upon by Nepal. “If India asks us to return that land, what are we supposed to do?” he asked.
Rai also criticised Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal for failing to intervene, saying his silence on such a serious issue had raised questions about the dignity of his office.
Similarly, CPN-UML Chief Whip Ain Bahadur Mahar urged the prime minister to correct his statement and apologise. Mahara described the remarks as anti-national and demanded that they be removed from the parliamentary record. “This parliament, this system and this constitution were achieved through immense sacrifice and bloodshed by our predecessors and the Nepali people. But the prime minister has made a nation-harming and anti-national statement,” he said.
Mahara maintained that Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Susta are Nepali territories and insisted that Nepal has not encroached on even an inch of another country’s land.
Similarly, Yubaraj Dulal of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) said the House should not proceed until the prime minister withdrew what he called a misleading statement.
Dulal argued that the remarks reflected not only ignorance about border issues but also ran contrary to Nepal’s national interests. “It is a serious mistake for the prime minister of a sovereign nation to make such baseless claims,” he said, adding that the foreign ministry had made another mistake by attempting to justify the statement through references to cross-border occupation in the no-man’s-land area.
Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) parliamentary party leader Gyanendra Shahi demanded that the prime minister furnish proof for the claims he made.
While acknowledging freedom of expression in a democracy, Shahi said a prime minister’s words carry greater responsibility. “A nation cannot be run on assumptions or emotions,” he said. “I request the prime minister to present evidence.”
Likewise, Aren Rai, chief whip of the Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP), demanded that the Prime Minister’s statement be expunged from the parliamentary record.
“If India asks Nepal to return land that we have allegedly encroached upon, what will happen then?” Rai said. “The Speaker should issue a ruling directing the Prime Minister to clarify his statement in the House. Until that happens, we will not allow parliamentary proceedings to move forward.”
