No place for third parties on border issues: MEA reacts to Nepal PM hosting country’s ruling party chief
Nepal and India have had an old border dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. India has consistently claimed that these territories are part of Uttarakhand. Representative file image. | Photo credit: Mayank Kumar
Responding to Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s claims, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) said that India and Nepal have bilateral mechanisms to resolve border issues and that “no third party plays any role” in these matters.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded in the media to Mr Shah’s claims, who claimed that the border issue was complex as both India and Nepal own each other’s territory and sought intervention by countries like the UK and China. The MEA’s response to the Nepali prime minister coincided with the visit of Rabi Lamichhane, president of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, who received a warm welcome in the national capital and met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday (June 2, 2026).
“We have put in place bilateral mechanisms to deal with all aspects of border issues. It should be clear to all concerned that no third parties play any role in India-Nepal bilateral issue,” Mr Jaiswal said.
Addressing the Nepali Parliament on Sunday (May 31, 2026), Mr. Shah said, “You will be surprised by the fact that I have come to know recently, only after I became the Prime Minister. India has not only encroached on Nepal’s territory but Nepal has also encroached on India’s territory at many places. Now both countries should study the facts and sit together as friends and solve the problem.
No man’s land
In response, the MEA spokesperson referred to natural phenomena such as the shifting of the Gandak River, which is part of the Indo-Nepal border. Mr. Jaiswal said, “While nearly 98% of the India-Nepal border has been demarcated, there are some unresolved segments.”
Mr. Jaiswal further explained the complexities of the border issue: “Furthermore, there are cases of cross-border occupation and encroachment into no-man’s land in delineated segments of the border that are currently jointly mapped.”
The official spokesman’s remarks echoed the warm welcome Mr Lamichhan continued to receive here on the second day of his visit to India. Mr. Lamichhane arrived here on Monday when he was welcomed by representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the VIP lounge of the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
“Human Bonds”
On Tuesday, Mr Lamichhane, who has been the RSP leader since 2022, challenged the foreign affairs minister. After the discussion, Mr. Jaishankar said, “Our discussions focused on development partnerships and people-to-people ties. These play a key role in promoting growth and prosperity.”
The visit of Mr Lamichhane, who is in the country at the invitation of the BJP’s foreign affairs cell, drew attention as the trip came weeks after Foreign Minister Vikram Misri’s planned visit to Nepal was canceled due to Mr Shah’s alleged unwillingness to meet him.
Mr Shah, a former rapper who took over as prime minister after the RSP won the March 2026 election on a Balen Shah wave, has instituted a blanket policy of refusing to meet visiting bureaucrats and foreign envoys, agreeing to meet only his political counterparts. He also previously refused to hold talks with the US ambassador to India, Sergio Gore, who went to Kathmandu in May as he is the US special envoy for South and Central Asia.
| Video Credit: PTI
Published – 02 Jun 2026 17:52 IST