Nepal’s opposition lawmakers protested against Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s statement about the country’s border issues with India, leading the National Assembly meeting at the Upper House of the Parliament to be adjourned on Wednesday.
The Parliament Secretariat reported that National Assembly chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal adjourned the meeting until 1:15 pm on June 9.
PM Shah, more popularly referred to as Balen, sparked controversy on Sunday when he commented on Nepal’s current border issues with India, stating that, “You will be surprised to know a fact that I have learnt recently, only after becoming prime minister. India has not only encroached Nepali territory, but Nepal has also encroached Indian territory in many places”.
He made the statement during his first address to the Nepal Parliament since taking office as the Prime Minister earlier this year.
Opposition lawmakers objected to Balen’s comments, demanding him to provide proof to support the claims or to withdraw the statement.
Former Nepalese Ambassador to Indian Nilambara Acharya told the Kantipuronline media portal, “There are reports about some Nepalese using land in India and some Indians using land in Nepal due to the missing border pillars in some border areas.”
However, he maintained that the Nepal government, as such, had not encroached on India’s territory.
Balen had also suggested that India and Nepal agreed to seek help from historians, surveyors, and experts to reach a resolution. While he confirmed that Nepal took up the issue with China and the United Kingdom, India on Tuesday firmly rejected any role for “third parties” to resolve the matter.
India currently maintains that the disputed areas are part of Uttarakhand and that the issue should be addressed through bilateral dialogue.
Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle was set to present the government’s estimated revenue and expenditure for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the National Assembly for discussion on Wednesday. However, continued protests from the opposition ledt to the meeting being adjourned without entering the schedule.
The opposition had demanded an apology from Balan for the remarks on Tuesday, along with its withdrawal and deletion from the Parliament records.
