Harka Asks Rabi To Raise Kalapani Issue During India Visit

Rabi Lamichhane’s upcoming India visit has drawn fresh political attention after Shram Sanskriti Party chair and Member of Parliament Harka Sampang publicly urged him to raise the Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura issue with the Indian side.

As discussions continue in Kathmandu over the political meaning of the visit, Sampang took a swipe at the Rastriya Swatantra Party chair through a Facebook post targeting his past nationalist rhetoric during his years as a television journalist.

“Rabi Lamichhane ji, now that you are going to India, make sure you ask them to return Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura,” Sampang wrote. “Back when you were a journalist, you used to shout quite loudly about it.”

The post spread quickly across social media.

Some viewed it as satire aimed directly at Lamichhane’s political positioning, while others linked it to growing pressure on national figures to take clearer public stands on Nepal’s territorial disputes with India.

Lamichhane is preparing to leave for New Delhi on June 2 for a two-day visit being arranged at the invitation of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The visit is already being watched closely in Kathmandu, particularly at a time when Nepal-India political engagement has appeared relatively slow under the current government.

Talks have also intensified over the possibility of Lamichhane meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Delhi stay, although there has been no official confirmation from the Indian side.

High-Level Meetings Being Discussed In Delhi

Indian media reports say preparations are underway for Lamichhane to meet several senior Indian officials during the visit.

These include:

• Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
• National Security Adviser Ajit Doval
• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri

Lamichhane’s wife, his private secretary, and Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmakers Bipin Kumar Acharya and Deepak Bohara are also expected to be part of the delegation.

There is also discussion about a possible visit to Ayodhya after the Delhi meetings conclude.

Lipulekh Issue Returns To Political Conversation

Sampang’s remarks have once again pulled the Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura dispute back into public discussion.

The territorial issue remains politically sensitive in Nepal and has repeatedly surfaced during moments involving high-level Nepal-India engagement.

This time, the debate has become tied directly to Lamichhane’s India outreach and the expectations surrounding his growing political role.