Kathmandu, October 12
The Nepali Congress has sought the views of Nischal Nath Pandey, Nepal’s ambassador-designate to India, on Prime Minister Balen Shah’s controversial remarks about Nepal and India encroaching on each other’s territory.
Pandey appeared before the Parliamentary Hearing Committee on Monday, where Nepali Congress lawmaker Anand Prasad Dhungana raised questions about the prime minister’s statement and its diplomatic implications.
“Even the prime minister said that Nepal has encroached on Indian territory too. After that, the Indian side stopped the construction of an embankment being built by the Nepali side in Susta,” Dhungana said.
Recalling the long-standing demand to reclaim Susta, he added that people had been chanting “Bring back our Susta” since his childhood, but the territory had yet to be reclaimed.
On May 31, 2026, Shah told the House of Representatives that Nepal was trying to resolve border disputes with India through diplomatic dialogue.
During the parliamentary discussion, Shah said he had learned after becoming prime minister that not only India but Nepal too had encroached on Indian land.
The remarks drew questions in Parliament, but Shah did not provide a separate response to the concerns raised by lawmakers.
