KATHMANDU: Nepali actor Barsha Raut has come under fire from Nepali netizens for her recent (May 22) comment on the ongoing border issue. A clip that, along with other statements, shows the actress worrying for her 'Indian friends' has drawn flak from many Nepali netizens.

“You love your country doesn’t mean you fight saying, ‘This is ours — why are you doing like that?’,” she says in the clip that is taken from an online interview. She is further seen saying, “This has to be solved together through table talk between our government and their overnment. But journalists of the two (countries) are picking a fight.”

“How will I face my Indian friends? How will Indian friends face me? This is the situation right now,” the actress says in the clip.

This comment of hers has angered the netizens of Nepal. Many expressed anger and disappointment on various social media platforms, many even resorting to usage of expletives to shame her, on May 23 and still are, while comparing her to Bollywood Manisha Koirala who recently supported the new Nepal map, even facing backlash from Indian media and netizens.

“Thank you for keeping the dignity of our small nation..we all are looking forward for a peaceful and respectful dialogue between all three great nations now,” Koirala had tweeted on May 18.

Read Also: Manisha Koirala lauds Nepal’s move to issue new political map, gets trolled

Meanwhile, Raut has been slammed, alleging her for being concerned about her Indian friends rather than the sovereignty of the nation, even questioning her love for her country. After her comment, Raut issued a statement on May 24 expressing her love and respect for her country.

“I am an artiste and on top of that I am naturally emotional. That is why I try to stay away from any controversy. But the controversy that was created out of an interview has hurt me emotionally. I might have come up short and my tongue may have slipped while talking on the programme that was broadcast live. But I have not fallen short in my heart to respect my country and nationality,” she writes in a statement posted on her Instagram page.

“Who doesn’t have love for his/her motherland? As a ‘Nepali artiste’, our identity is attached to the country and nationality,” she states adding, “I am a Nepali and I am proud of that.”

In a long statement issued by the actor in Nepali, she expresses her support to the new map of Nepal, hopes that our media doesn’t follow uncivilised and fake journalism and apologises for stirring such a situation.

Before she came up with her statement, she had also shared a story on her Instagram handle.

“Being misunderstood is frustrating, but if in your heart you meant well and you did your best, then that’s all you really can do,” it said, however, the context was not disclosed.

Read Barsha Raut's full statement, here.