Kathmandu, June 8: Lawmakers from opposition parties in today’s meeting of House of Representatives (HoR) objected to remarks made by Prime Minister Balendra Shah on border issues between Nepal and India in parliament recently.
They raised this issue and stood up to express their protest. Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal subsequently allowed them time to express their concerns.
The disgruntled parliamentarians also demanded that the PM Shah’s remarks relating to Nepal-India border issue be removed from the parliamentary record.
Today’s meeting of the Lower House began about two hours later than scheduled.
Speaking in the meeting, lawmaker Padma Kumari Aryal demanded that the statement be removed from the official record. She recalled that a national consensus had been reached in 2077 BS to incorporate Lipulek, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani into Nepal’s official map. During the meeting, lawmakers from opposition parties, including main opposition- Nepali Congress-, also raised concerns over reports of alleged irregularities in vehicle imports from China.
They referred to media reports claiming that changes in tax rates and customs procedures had facilitated such irregularities. Lawmakers including Santosh Subba, Harka Raj Sampang Rai, Barshaman Pun and Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi among others called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
They also demanded action against those found responsible. It may be noted that PM Shah had, while responding to queries of the lawmakers in parliament on May 31, remarked about land usage along the Nepal-India border, saying, ‘in some places, land currently used and occupied by Nepal may fall on the Indian side while land currently under India’s use and occupation may lie on the Nepal’s side’.
Today’s HoR meeting was adjourned for 15 minutes shortly after it began as lawmakers stood in protest over PM Shah’s remarks concerning Nepal-India border.
Speaker Aryal announced the adjournment after the protesting parliamentarians continued to disrupt proceedings.
