Communal unrest has flared in parts of Nepal bordering India, triggering a high-security alert. Protests began in Birgunj, a town in Nepal’s Parsa district, after a video allegedly containing religious content went viral on social media.
The district administration office (DAO) in Parsa imposed a curfew in Birgunj on Monday from 6pm (January 5) to 8am (January 6). With tensions still high and the threat persisting, authorities extended the curfew until 1pm on Tuesday.
Amid the deteriorating law and order situation in Nepal, India has completely sealed its border, restricting all cross-border movement except for emergency services.
The protests soon turned violent, prompting the Parsa district administration to impose a curfew in Birgunj city, which borders Bihar’s Raxaul district.
What Triggred Violence?
A mosque was vandalised by a group of people in the Sakhuwa Maran area of Kamala Municipality in Dhanusha district. Soon after, a video of the vandalism circulated widely on social media According to Nepal Police, this led to the spread of alleged anti-Hindu content online by two Muslim youths on TikTok. The youths were subsequently handed over to the police.
The protests escalated into violence, with protesters pelting stones at police personnel and vandalising a local police station. “To control the situation, police personnel fired nearly half a dozen tear gas shells at protesters,” police said.
Due to the worsening situation in Birgunj and surrounding areas, many Indian migrant workers employed in Nepal have begun returning home.
