Nepal PM sparks row, says his country has encroached upon Indian territory

1 JUNE 2026

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah said that Nepal too had encroached upon Indian territory, in what is considered to be the first such public statement by a head of government of the neighbouring country.
Mr. Shah was responding to a question in Parliament regarding the Kalapani region, which remains disputed between Nepal and India.
“You might find it strange, but I also learned only recently — after becoming Prime Minister — that it is not just India but Nepal too has encroached upon Indian territories in many places,” Mr. Shah said, prompting an uproar in Parliament as the Opposition objected to the statement.
Nepal and India have a long-pending boundary dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani and the dispute resurfaced recently when India announced the revival of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrimage via the Lipulekh route.
Nepal then sent diplomatic notes to both India and China. India maintains that the territories are part of Uttarakhand.
The address to Parliament was the first by Mr. Balen Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) since he took office in March 2026, after the Gen Z protests in September 2025.
He had previously faced criticism for his reluctance to address Parliament and his absence from House sessions.