Kathmandu, May 31 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday clarified that Prime Minister Balendra Shah's remarks in Parliament about Nepal having encroached on Indian land were made in reference to cross-border land occupation and the use of land across the Nepal-India border, rather than any territorial claim.

The clarification came hours after Shah's statement in the House of Representatives sparked controversy.

Responding to lawmakers' questions in Parliament earlier on Sunday, Shah had said that after becoming prime minister he learned that "not only has India encroached on Nepal's land, but Nepal has also encroached on India's land in multiple places".

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri sa...