Communal unrest erupted in southern Nepal after a video carrying alleged religious content spread on social media, prompting protests that later turned violent.
The tension unfolded in Birgunj of Parsa district, close to the Indian border, where authorities imposed a curfew as demonstrations escalated.
The situation deteriorated rapidly, leading India to seal all cross-border movement in the area, except for emergency services, amid heightened security concerns, reports NDTV.
How the unrest unfolded in southern Nepal
Tensions began after two Muslim men, identified as Haider Ansari and Amanat Ansari, in Kamala Municipality of Dhanusha district reportedly shared a video that allegedly contained remarks offensive to certain religious communities.
The video quickly became a flashpoint, fuelling communal strain in both Dhanusha and Parsa districts.
Local residents detained the two men and handed them over to police, claiming the video threatened communal harmony, but the situation worsened after a mosque was vandalised in the Sakhuwa Maran area of Kamala.
The vandalism intensified anger on the streets, with members of Hindu organisations alleging that derogatory remarks had been made against their deities during the episode.
Protests soon turned violent as demonstrators hurled stones at police and damaged a local police station, forcing law enforcers to fire several tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, police said.
Authorities later enforced a curfew across Birgunj city, saying security agencies were closely monitoring developments on the ground.
Border lockdown amid rising security alert
In response to the unrest, security was tightened along the Nepal–India frontier, with the Sashastra Seema Bal sealing the border completely.
Indian security forces halted all civilian movement, allowing only emergency crossings, while stepping up checks at the Maitri Bridge linking the two countries.
A dog squad was deployed at the bridge, and additional patrols were increased in nearby border areas, including Sahadewa, Mahadewa, Pantoka, Siwan Tola and Musharwa, officials said.
Security agencies said all activities in the border belt were being closely watched to prevent any untoward incident.
Indian workers head back as situation worsens
As the situation worsened, Indian migrant workers employed in Nepal began returning home.
Rakesh, an Indian national attempting to cross the border, told NDTV that shops and markets in Birgunj were completely shut, leaving little reason to remain there.
He said he would return to work once normalcy was restored, adding that staying back under such conditions made little sense.
