Police fired tear gas in Birgunj, Parsa, on Sunday following clashes with demonstrators during a protest.
Members of the Muslim community began protesting early Sunday morning by burning tires on the streets. They protested by burning tires and chanting slogans in various locations, including Ghantaghar, Murli, Malpot Chowk, and Idgah Chowk in Chhapkaiya.
A minor clash broke out between protestors and police at Idgah Chowk in Chhapkaiya. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudeep Raj Pathak, chief of the District Police Office, Parsa, said that five rounds of tear gas were fired to bring the situation under control after the protest turned aggressive.
"The protest caused tension for a while, but the situation is now under control," SP Pathak said.
After protestors blocked the Tribhuvan Highway by lighting fires at Idgah Chowk, a fire engine from the Birgunj Metropolitan City was used to extinguish the flames and reopen the road.
Protests erupted in Birgunj after news spread on social media regarding the vandalism of a mosque by an unidentified group at Sakhuwa Maran in Ward No. 6 of Dhanukhamala Municipality, Dhanusha, on Saturday.
Leaders participating in the protest demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in the vandalism.
Maulana Ali Asghar Madani, central co-chairman of Jamiat Ulama-e-Nepal and principal of Yatimkhana Islamiya School in Chhapakaiya, condemned the Dhanusha incident and demanded action against those involved in it.
"Wrong acts are taking place, and the administration has failed to stop them. Why do these problems occur specifically in Madhesh and not in other provinces? What kind of politics is being played here?" he questioned. "Whether we follow Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, or Buddhism, we are all Nepalis. We must respect each other's religions. Anyone who fails to do so must be punished."
He added that a delegation of leaders from the Muslim community has already visited the Ministry of Home Affairs to draw attention to the Dhanusha incident.
