Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah has sparked a major controversy with his remarks in Parliament about the border dispute with India, saying his country was 'encroaching' on Indian territories.
The Nepal PM made these remarks while answering questions in Parliament on a long-running border dispute with India, which has been a contentious issue for years.
The core of the conflict stems from differing interpretations of the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, which established the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary, but did not clearly specify the exact geographic source or origin point of the river.
India says the river originates from a spring below Lipulekh, while Nepal says it stems from a point further northwest at Limpiyadhura stream.
Hours after Balen Shah's comments, Nepal's Foreign Ministry clarified that the Prime Minister's remarks were related to 'no-man's land encroachments' and 'cross-border occupation' between the two countries, rather than any territorial claims.
However, opposition lawmakers and experts have criticized the prime minister's remarks, with some demanding evidence to support his claim that Nepal had encroached on Indian territory.
The controversy comes ahead of a delegation of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, led by its chairman Rabi Lamichhane, set to visit India at the invitation of BJP president Nitin Nabin.
