Prime Minister Balen Shah's Statement on Border Encroachment Sparks Controversy

Kathmandu. Prime Minister Balen Shah's statement in the House of Representatives on Sunday, 'Nepal has also encroached on Indian land,' has led the government to defend itself with flimsy arguments. The government has stepped in to defend itself instead of admitting its weakness, even as Prime Minister Shah's statement is facing widespread criticism and opposition.

While opposition political parties are raising their voices in parliament, demanding that Prime Minister Balen either present facts to confirm his statement or apologize. However, the government is resorting to evasive answers to cover up Balen's mistake on sensitive issues like national integrity.

On Tuesday, government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmita Pokharel, claimed that the Prime Minister was merely surprised when it was revealed that Nepal had also encroached on the border while advancing work related to border disputes. Speaking at a press conference after the cabinet meeting in Singha Durbar, Pokharel said, 'The Prime Minister did not say that Nepal encroached on India's border; he only stated that he was surprised by such a thing.'

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already clarified the matter and attempted to evade responsibility by stating that various mechanisms have been in place between the two countries to resolve border disputes and that work is ongoing through these mechanisms.

प्रधानमन्त्रीले कुन तथ्य र प्रमाणका आधारमा नेपालले भारतीय भूमि मिचेको बताए ?

Pokharel stated that it is through these mechanisms that land occupied by India in some places may fall within Nepal, and land occupied by Nepal may fall within India.

Prime Minister Shah had appeared in the House of Representatives on Sunday in a surprise manner, ready to answer the questions of the MPs. While answering the MPs' questions, he stated that Nepal had also encroached on Indian land.

'After I became Prime Minister, I learned that not only India but also Nepal has encroached on India's land,' Prime Minister Shah had said in parliament. The Prime Minister's statement is on record in parliament and is widely available.

There was strong criticism immediately after Prime Minister Shah made such a statement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press statement on the same day defending Shah's statement.

Lok Bahadur Khetri, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had said, 'The demarcation of land has yet to be done in the areas of Susta and Limpiyadhura, Lipulek, and Kalapani along the Nepal-India border. In some other places besides these areas, problems of cross-border occupation and encroachment of the no-man's-land exist.'

Although opposition parties demanded that the Prime Minister correct his statement made in parliament and remove the incorrect statement from the record, Speaker DP Aryal has not yet ruled for Prime Minister Shah to respond. Previously, Speaker Aryal could not rule for the Prime Minister to appear in the house when demanded by the opposition during policy and program and question-and-answer sessions.

When MPs demand answers from the Prime Minister and ministers on important issues, the Speaker can summon them by ruling. However, instead of doing so, Speaker Aryal, who has not risen above the status of Deputy Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party, has not been able to play an impartial role, running the parliament against parliamentary rules.

Instead, according to parliamentary affairs experts, by forming committees under various pretexts to control the opposition, he has not only violated the dignity and decorum of the parliament but is also trying to take the parliament, a forum for healthy debate and discussion, into a state of confrontation.