Nepal, Sept. 3 -- CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has publicly challenged Prime Minister Balendra Shah over remarks he made in Parliament regarding the recent Bhotekoshi flood disaster, accusing the prime minister of making unverified and misleading statements at a time of national grief.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Pokharel took issue with Shah's comments that Nepal had also encroached on Indian territory and that no expertise existed anywhere in the world to rescue people trapped inside tunnels filled with water and mud.

Questioning the basis of the prime minister's claims, Pokharel said the head of government should exercise greater responsibility when addressing Parliament, particularly during a national disaste...