India, on Tuesday, rejected any suggestion of third-party involvement in the bilateral matter between India and Nepal, following controversial remarks by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah that Nepal has encroached territories of India and that the country has agreed to take the help of historians, surveyors and experts to seek a resolution.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had taken note of Shah's comments as well as a clarification issued by Nepal's foreign ministry.
"We have seen the remarks of the prime minister of Nepal concerning the India-Nepal boundary as well as the subsequent statement made by the Nepali foreign office on this matter," Jaiswal said.
He noted that nearly 98 per cent of the India-Nepal boundary has already been demarcated, with only a few segments remaining unresolved due to changes in the course of the Gandak River.
Jaiswal said there were also instances of cross-border occupation and encroachment of no-man's land in certain demarcated areas, which were currently being jointly mapped by the two countries.
"We have established bilateral mechanisms to deal with all aspects of boundary matters. It should be clear to all concerned that there is no role for any third parties in a bilateral matter between India and Nepal," he said.
The remarks came after Nepal PM Shah triggered a controversy during his maiden appearance in the ongoing parliamentary session on Sunday. While responding to questions on the boundary dispute with India, Shah said he had learnt that Nepal had also "encroached" on Indian territory in several places.
"Not only India, but Nepal has also encroached on the territories of India at many places," Shah had said.
He further suggested that India and Nepal had agreed to involve historians, surveyors and other experts in efforts to resolve the dispute, and added that Kathmandu had also taken up the issue with China and the United Kingdom.
Following the controversy, Nepal's foreign ministry issued a clarification, stating that Shah's remarks referred to cases of "cross-border occupation" and encroachments in no-man's land along the border, rather than any territorial claims by Nepal over Indian land.
Meanwhile, on the ongoing visit of Nepal’s ruling party RSP president Rabi Lamichhane to India, the MEA spokesperson stated: "Chairman of RSP Nepal is visiting India as we have a multifaceted partnership. He will be holding high-level meetings here."
