Harka calls PM’s Parliament remark ‘anti-national’ over border claim

KATHMANDU: Shram Sanskriti Party Chair Harka Sampang has accused the prime minister of making “anti-national” remarks after the latter reportedly told Parliament that Nepal had encroached on Indian territory in several places.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Sampang’s party strongly objected to the prime minister’s comments made during a parliamentary session convened without prior scheduling.

The party argued that the remarks undermine Nepal’s longstanding position on disputed border territories and raise questions about the government’s commitment to protecting the country’s territorial integrity.

Sampang also suggested that the statement may have been intended to appease India ahead of a visit by Rabi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), who is traveling to India at the invitation of leaders from India’s ruling party.

“The prime minister’s remarks appear aimed at diluting Nepal’s claim that its territory has been encroached upon and weakening the public demand for the return of Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura,” the statement said. “They also reveal a dangerous intention that Nepal should relinquish territory to India.”

The party further argued that the comments could create confusion in the international community regarding Nepal’s official position on border disputes and its territorial claims.

Criticizing the government’s handling of national security, the statement alleged that authorities have failed to adequately deploy security forces to monitor border areas while focusing instead on domestic operations.

It claimed that asserting Nepal had encroached on Indian land reflects a lack of commitment to safeguarding the nation’s borders and geographical sovereignty.

The government has not yet publicly responded to the allegations.

The dispute over border areas, including Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, remains a sensitive issue in Nepal-India relations and has periodically fueled political debate within Nepal.