The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) on Monday condemned Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s remarks in Parliament that Nepal had also encroached upon Indian territory, calling the statement irresponsible, contrary to historical facts, and against Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement issued by party spokesperson Prakash Jwala, the NCP said Shah’s claim distorted the long-standing dispute over areas including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura and amounted to a “serious act against national interests”.

The controversy erupted after Shah, while responding to lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Sunday, said Nepal had also occupied Indian land in several places. The remark triggered protests from opposition lawmakers and drew criticism from diplomats, former survey officials and border experts.

The NCP argued that international border encroachment and cross-border landholding by local residents are separate issues and should not be conflated.

“Claiming that Nepal has also occupied Indian territory by distorting the historical facts surrounding India’s unilateral occupation of areas such as Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura is a serious betrayal of national interests,” the party said.

According to the NCP, land owned or cultivated by citizens on either side of the Nepal-India border as a result of historical boundary demarcation, the Treaty of Sugauli and the location of old boundary pillars cannot be described as territorial occupation.

The party further said the prime minister’s remarks from the parliamentary rostrum ran counter to the spirit of the Constitution and undermined Nepal’s established position on the boundary dispute.

Following widespread criticism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a clarification on Sunday, saying the prime minister’s remarks referred to cross-border occupation and land use in some areas rather than any formal territorial claim by Nepal.

The NCP has demanded that Shah immediately correct his statement, have it removed from the parliamentary record, and pursue diplomatic dialogue with India based on established facts and national consensus.