KATHMANDU: Home Minister Sudan Gurung is set to leave Kathmandu for Sunsari on Thursday, five days after tensions between two communities erupted in Kaptanganj of Dewanganj Rural Municipality, Sunsari.
Gurung had earlier remained in Kathmandu while sending his personal assistant James Karki to the affected area. He is now scheduled to travel to Sunsari on Thursday afternoon.
The decision to send the Home Minister comes as the tensions originating in Sunsari have spread across Madhes Province. Prime Minister Balen Shah decided to dispatch Gurung to Sunsari amid growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation.
Earlier on Thursday, Shah held a meeting of the National Security Council in the presence of Home Minister Gurung. The meeting decided to take special initiatives to address the deteriorating law and order situation across the country.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shah and Home Minister Gurung had separately held discussions with the Inspector Generals of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force. During the discussions, both security chiefs reportedly stressed that the tensions originating in Sunsari should be resolved through dialogue rather than the use of force.
However, Shah and Gurung were reportedly focused primarily on identifying who fired the shots during the incident rather than finding a broader solution to the escalating tensions.
As the situation continues to spread, tensions have now reached several parts of Madhes. A 20-year-old youth, Ganesh Yadav, was killed in Golbazar of Siraha on Thursday.
Comment