Controversy over Prime Minister’s statement in Nepal, demand for apology intensified within RSP

Kathmandu. Differences have emerged within the ruling Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) over the controversial statement of Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah, in which he had said that Nepal has also encroached on Indian territory. A section of the party has advocated withdrawal of this statement and an apology to the nation in Parliament.

Many senior leaders of RSP believe that the Prime Minister should withdraw his statement and apologize to the country through Parliament. At the same time, another group of leaders considered close to the Prime Minister are not in favor of this step.

After the statement given by the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives on Sunday, there was a sharp reaction from the opposition parties and a new debate started on the issue of India-Nepal border dispute. After this, this dispute emerged within the party.

According to sources, RSP president Ravi Lamichhane has directed party leaders not to make public comments on the issue until the party’s official stance is finalised.

However, despite this instruction, some leaders including party MP Ranju Darshana and MP Ashika Tamang have expressed disagreement over the Prime Minister’s statement through social media.

RSP MP and advocate Yagyamani Nyupane expressed the need to be especially careful while discussing border related issues. He said that this is a very sensitive issue. Defending the Prime Minister’s intentions, he indicated that perhaps the comment was made without adequate preparation.

“The Prime Minister probably did not mean to say exactly the same thing. Everyone should be serious on issues like the border dispute,” Neyupane said. He also stressed the need to understand the context of the Prime Minister’s entire statement before drawing conclusions.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties—Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party (EML), Rashtriya Prajatantra Party and others—have jointly demanded an apology from the Prime Minister and removal of his statement from the parliamentary record.

Many RSP MPs privately believe that the statement should be improved, but are avoiding speaking publicly due to fears of disciplinary action.

This issue was also discussed in a virtual meeting of the party secretariat before Ravi Lamichhane left for India on Monday morning. Many members in the meeting argued that the Prime Minister’s remarks had become a matter of national controversy and clarification was necessary.

According to a secretariat member, most participants said that boundary disputes should be resolved through diplomatic means and that temporary changes in river flow or technical boundary issues should not be described as “territorial encroachment”. During the discussion, party spokesperson Manish Jha reportedly expressed concern over how party leaders should answer media questions.

Ravi Lamichhane said in the meeting that border issues are not a matter of party politics but of national interest. He suggested that the party should keep its position in line with the official policy of Nepal’s Foreign Ministry rather than giving personal interpretation. He said he would discuss the issue with the Prime Minister and find a way forward, which may also include issuing clarifications or taking necessary corrective steps.

After the parliamentary controversy, there was also a telephone conversation between Ravi Lamichhane and Prime Minister Balen Shah. During this, Lamichhane reportedly told the Prime Minister that his statement had given rise to political and diplomatic complications and the matter should be addressed seriously.

This dispute remains a major issue in Nepal’s politics amid increasing pressure from opposition parties and within the ruling coalition. Now all eyes are on whether the Prime Minister gives any clarification on this matter in the next meeting of Parliament or not.