LUCKNOW: With Nepal being in the grip of violent protests, the Uttar Pradesh government issued directives to the state police administration to remain on high alert across all seven border districts with the Himalayan nation. The move came after the resignation of Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli following days of anti-government protests led by young demonstrators against corruption and a controversial social media ban order.
After the state government’s directives, UP Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna ordered round-the-clock surveillance, intensified patrolling, and deployment of additional police personnel in Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj -- the seven districts which share a 600-km long border with Nepal.
Moreover, a special control room has also been set up at the Police Headquarters in Lucknow to assist Indian nationals stranded in Nepal. Three helpline numbers, including one WhatsApp number, will remain operational 24×7 – 0522-2390257, 0522-2724010, and 9454401674 (WhatsApp also on 9454401674).
According to ADG (Law & Order) Amitabh Yash, the UP Police is fully committed to maintaining law and order in the state and providing all possible assistance to Indian citizens stranded in Nepal.
While the India-Nepal border has not been sealed, vigil has been stepped up. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards the open porous border with the neighbouring Himalayan state, has intensified patrolling to prevent infiltration of anti-social elements. Commissioner of Devipatan division, Shashi Lal Bhushan Sushil, instructed district magistrates of Balrampur, Shravasti and Bahraich to coordinate closely with police and SSB authorities.
The heightened alert follows violent protests in Kathmandu, and several other cities, where protesters stormed and torched the Parliament house, the President’s office at Shital Niwas, and residences of top leaders. At least 19 people were killed and more than 500 injured in police firing and clashes.
The unrest in Nepal was fuelled by the government’s decision to ban 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube, citing revenue and cybersecurity concerns. Although the ban was later revoked, the crackdown fuelled public anger, with demonstrators demanding an end to corruption and greater accountability in governance.
The protests have spread to border towns like Nepalgunj bordering Bahraich district of UP. Here schools and businesses remained closed for a second straight day. Protesters indulged in violence near Sonouli town, near Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh in Gorakhpur division. It is located on the Indo-Nepal border and is a well-known transit point between India and Nepal in eastern UP. The protestors set government offices afire and indulged in vandalism on the other side of the border.
SSB sleuths nabbed nine prisoners from Nepal who had escaped from jail taking advantage of the unrest and had entered India. The SSP rounded up four Nepali prisoners at Sonouli border in Maharajganj and five at Khunwa border in Siddharthnagar. The security agencies are grilling them.
With the borders with Nepal in Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri and Maharjganj sealed, over 200 Indian truckers were stranded on the Nepal side fearing damage to their vehicles by troublemakers. There is a long 8-km queue of Indian trucks at Sonouli border.