Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) has clarified his recent controversial remarks made in the House of Representatives (HoR) regarding Nepal's border issues, stating that his government is prepared to secure historical evidence from the British government if required to cement Nepal's territorial claims.
Addressing the inaugural session of the first general convention of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Chitwan on Sunday, PM Shah sought to clear the air over his parliamentary address, which had drawn sharp criticism from various political quarters. "Our borders have been encroached upon, and we possess the proof. Kalapani and Lipulekh belong to Nepal," Shah asserted. "What I meant was that if we need to retrieve historical evidence from the British government to prove our case, we will do so. I never suggested placing the British government as a mediator in this border dispute."
The Prime Minister's clarification comes after a wave of controversy triggered by his responses to lawmakers in Parliament, where his statements were perceived by critics as a controversial implication that Nepal, too, might have encroached upon Indian territory. During that same parliamentary session, Shah had also claimed that the government had already approached the United Kingdom to request historical records concerning the Nepal-India border.
Following intense pressure from political parties demanding an official explanation, Prime Minister Shah used the RSP general convention platform to defend his stance. He noted that while any country naturally speaks out when its borders are violated, Nepal's efforts to raise its legitimate border concerns have consistently drawn sharp reactions from India.
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