Nepali Congress lawmaker Rajendra Bajgain has claimed the security officials of China’s Tibet have arrested two Nepali nationals from northern Gorkha district.

The Tibetan police arrested two youths from northern Gorkha, Rapke Lama and Karma Cheden, some one month ago and their whereabouts are yet to be known, Bajgain said at Parliament on Tuesday.

“Two youths of Gorkha were detained by the Tibetan security officials but the government has been clueless,” said the lawmaker from Gorkha. “I ask for an answer from the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

“The arbitrary arrest was made allegedly because they helped the Tibetans flee... But to reassure you, we do not play against China here and respect them as our close neighbour. We are only speaking for a better environment within the Himalayan border,” Bajgain wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.

“Some one and half months back, they received a call,” Bajgain said in Parliament. “The phone calls were made by Tibetans who were arrested by the Tibetan authorities. While receiving the phone calls, they were asked to come to Tibet. Then they were arrested after reaching there.

“The Nepal government is not aware of this incident. No one knows their condition, whether they are alive or not… I would like to draw the attention of the foreign ministry regarding this incident.”

He also brought up the case of controversial mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who climbed the eight highest mountains as a Nepali citizen and is now accusing the government of cutting trekking ropes and has abandoned Nepali citizenship for a foreign one.

“Such activities have defamed Nepal and its integrity,” Bajgain said. “Nepal being defamed by such an individual is a serious issue that the government must not ignore.”