NCP demands removal of PM remarks from record
The controversy stems from remarks attributed to the Prime Minister suggesting that Nepal had also encroached on Indian territory—an assertion the party strongly rejected as a distortion of historical and territorial facts.
KATHMANDU: The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has demanded the removal of Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s controversial remarks from the parliamentary record, calling the statement “serious and against national interest.”
In a press release issued by party spokesperson Prakash Jwala, the party urged an immediate correction of the Prime Minister’s comments and called for national consensus on sensitive foreign policy issues, particularly relations with India.
The controversy stems from remarks attributed to the Prime Minister suggesting that Nepal had also encroached on Indian territory—an assertion the party strongly rejected as a distortion of historical and territorial facts.
“The statement should be removed from the parliamentary record and corrected immediately. National consensus should be built on matters of national interest, and diplomatic dialogue with India must be based on facts,” the statement read.
The party argued that India’s alleged encroachment in Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura remains a longstanding territorial dispute, but insisted that Nepal has never occupied any Indian land.
Referring to historical agreements such as the Sugauli Treaty and boundary pillars, the party said cross-border landholdings in frontier areas should not be interpreted as territorial occupation, describing them instead as “land cross-holding arrangements.”
It further stated that equating such situations with occupation was misleading and contrary to constitutional principles.
Reiterating Nepal’s position on the boundary dispute, the party said the issue must be resolved through diplomatic channels. It also pointed to Nepal’s continued claim over the disputed Kalapani region and the issuance of the updated national map, known as the “Chuche Naksha.”
The statement also raised concern over the India-Nepal Eminent Persons Group (EPG) report, which remains unpublished by India, saying such unresolved diplomatic matters require careful handling.
“The Prime Minister’s statement has seriously undermined national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity,” the release added.
