After Prime Minister Shah stated in Parliament that both Nepal and India have encroached on each other's territory, Indian media outlets have also prioritized the issue in the news.
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Indian media outlets have prioritized coverage of Prime Minister Balendra Shah's remarks in the House of Representatives regarding the border dispute.
While answering a question in Parliament on Sunday from Shram Sanskriti Party Chief Whip Aren Rai and CPN-UML Parliamentary Party Deputy Leader Padma Aryal, Prime Minister Shah said that 'not only India but also Nepal has encroached on India's land', creating a new wave in the border debate.
Shah's statement, which was his first address to Parliament after becoming Prime Minister on Chaitra 13, and the future direction of Nepal-India relations, has become a topic of discussion in the Indian media.
Indian media has commented on Prime Minister Shah's statement as 'surprising'. BBC Hindi and Navbharat Times have written the Prime Minister's statement exactly, 'After becoming Prime Minister, I came to know that not only India has encroached on Nepal's land, but Nepal has also encroached on India's land in some places. Both sides should sit down and consider this issue.'
Similarly, News24 Online has mentioned that Prime Minister Shah's statement on the border dispute is 'surprising' to everyone . Although the Prime Minister did not name the specific places 'Nepal has encroached on' in Parliament, the news reports mention that instead of confusing this issue of mutual encroachment, it should be resolved once and for all through 'table talk'.
Zee News has also given a sensational headline to Prime Minister Shah's statement, 'Nepal has encroached on Indian land... Balen Shah admitted in front of everyone, what is the meaning of this statement ?' Zee News has mentioned that Nepal has admitted that Indian land has been encroached on and assured that the border dispute will be resolved through talks Indian media has also reported on the political turmoil in the Nepali Parliament after Prime Minister Shah's statement. News24 Online has also reported that the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has strongly objected to the Prime Minister's statement. Congress Chief Whip Vasana Thapa had called the statement 'extremely sensitive' and 'objectionable' and demanded immediate evidence and explanation from the Prime Minister. Indian media has highlighted the opposition's demand to remove the statement from the Parliament's record if it cannot submit evidence, saying that it is not appropriate to make light comments on diplomatic and sensitive issues without concrete evidence. Nepal has not encroached on Indian territory. News18 and BBC Hindi have covered Prime Minister Shah's response on the established border dispute of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in detail. Prime Minister Shah had informed the Parliament that the reply to the diplomatic note sent by Nepal regarding the Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura trade routes had already arrived from New Delhi. In response to India's reply, he had also told the Parliament that a solution would be sought at the negotiating table by forming a team of historians, survey department officials and experts from both countries.
Prime Minister Shah had said that diplomatic discussions are underway not only with India and China but also with the British government for mediation to resolve the border dispute. News18 has written that Nepal is of the opinion that Britain should also take an interest in this as this dispute has been going on since the time British India left this area.
Indian News agency ANI has reminded the Nepali map dispute and India's official position on it. India recently When announcing the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Nepal had objected to Lipulekh being its territory. In this context, ANI quoted Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying, 'Lipulekh Pass has been the traditional route of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954. India's stance on the issue of territorial claims is clear and consistent, such one-sided and artificial claims are not based on historical facts and evidence.' Similarly, Dainik Bhaskar has also written news giving priority to Prime Minister Shah's statement. Dainik Bhaskar's headline is, 'Nepali Prime Minister said - we have also occupied Indian land.' Dainik Bhaskar also mentioned Shah's address to Parliament two months after becoming Prime Minister. Dainik Bhaskar has used a picture of the map of 'Greater Nepal' that Shah kept in his office when he was the mayor of Kathmandu.
The Hindu has published a news story titled ‘ Nepal has also encroached on Indian territory : Prime Minister Balendra Shah’.
Similarly, The Economic Times has published a news story titled ‘Prime Minister’s statement on “encroachment” on Indian land sparks controversy’. The news
gives priority to the issue of diplomatic dialogue with China and Britain to resolve the border dispute. The news said, “Both countries have agreed to seek the help of historians, surveyors and other experts to find a solution to the border dispute. Kathmandu has also said that it has held diplomatic discussions with China and Britain on the issue.” Similarly,
The Wire and Firstpost
have also published news quoting Prime Minister Shah’s statement. These media outlets have particularly focused on the border dispute, the comment on ‘encroachment’ and the political debate it has generated.
Indian media have also linked the rejection of the new map issued by the then KP Sharma Oli-led government in 2020, which included Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani through a constitutional amendment, as a ‘unilateral move’. BBC Hindi has also mentioned the controversy in April when Nepal Airlines had to apologize after showing Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan in its ‘network map’. Opposition questions PM: Where has Nepal crossed the border with India?
BBC Hindi and Navbharat Times have analyzed Prime Minister Balendra Shah's diplomatic style so far and the upcoming visit to Delhi of the ruling party Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSWP) President Ravi Lamichhane. RSWP President Lamichhane is going on a five-day visit to Delhi from June 1 (tomorrow) to 5.
