Nepal PM Balen Shah Controversial Statement: A huge uproar was created over a statement made by Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah regarding India. He made a big claim in Parliament about occupying Indian land, which created an uproar. Regarding this, political parties and people in Nepal strongly criticized Balen Shah. The opposition had opened a front against him. Seeing the increasing protests, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry has now given clarification on his statement and told what was the meaning of Nepali PM’s statement?
Issuing a statement on Sunday (May 31), the Nepali Foreign Ministry clarified that the Prime Minister’s statement was specifically related to the encroachment in the no-man’s land area on the border. This should not be seen as a government occupation.
The ministry said that the current border between India and Nepal is based on the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. The Nepal-India border in the riverine areas was decided on the basis of fixed boundary principle. Due to this, a situation has arisen where citizens of one country cultivate or even live on the land under the jurisdiction of another country.
The ministry said that a study by a technical committee has revealed that the land that Nepal is currently using and occupying may technically fall within India’s territory. In the same way, the land that India is using and occupying may come under Nepali territory.
‘Pending border issues will be resolved through talks’
The Nepalese Foreign Ministry stressed that both Nepal and India are fully committed to resolving all outstanding border issues through bilateral dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister Shah also talked about issues like Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in the Parliament and said that Nepal has sent a diplomatic note to India on these and a reply has also come from India. He proposed to resolve the dispute through table talks.
What was Balen Shah’s controversial statement?
Nepal’s newly elected Prime Minister Balendra Shah was making his first appearance in Parliament on Sunday (May 31, 2026). When an MP asked him about the government’s stand on Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani areas, Balen Shah said, “After becoming Prime Minister, I came to know that not only has India occupied Nepal’s land, but Nepal has also occupied India’s land at many places.”
This was the first time that a Nepalese Prime Minister publicly acknowledged encroachment by Nepal. Shah also said that China and Britain should also be included in this border dispute. He has spoken to India, China as well as the UK government on this matter.