Opposition slams government inaction over Indian SSB intrusion in Susta

KATHMANDU: During a House of Representatives session on Monday, opposition parties—including the Nepali Congress, Nepali Communist Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)—fiercely demanded answers from the government regarding Indian border encroachments and a controversial statement by Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

Opposition lawmakers Renuka Kaucha and Bharat Raj Giri strongly condemned the Prime Minister’s earlier parliamentary remark where he claimed that “Nepal has also encroached upon India’s border,” arguing that this statement has emboldened recent aggressive incursions by India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) into Susta, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta Paschim).

Lawmakers highlighted alarming incidents where armed SSB personnel entered Nepali territory without permission, terrifying locals in Susta’s Tharu Tol, only to be chased away by unarmed Nepali farmers in the absolute absence of state security.

Additionally, Nepali Communist Party lawmaker Yubaraj Dulal demanded that the Prime Minister’s controversial border comments be officially expunged from the parliamentary record.

The opposition further cornered the government over geopolitical transparency and accountability, demanding immediate clarification on unauthorized Indian military helicopter flights in Darchula, ongoing Indian barriers affecting Nepali tea exports, and the government’s deliberate suppression of high-profile investigation reports, including the asset controversy surrounding Home Minister Sudhan Gurung.