Nepal’s political crisis has snowballed into a full-blown security emergency, with violent demonstrations over a social media ban and corruption allegations claiming at least 19 lives and leaving hundreds injured. Protesters torched Parliament, the Supreme Court and major media offices in Kathmandu, prompting the army to enforce curfews across the capital and adjoining regions.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and several senior leaders have reportedly fled the country, while others faced the fury of mobs on the streets. The government has since restored access to Facebook, X and other platforms, but the upheaval shows no sign of abating.
Compounding the chaos, over 3,000 prisoners escaped from jails during the violence. Indian officials confirmed that at least six fugitives were intercepted at Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharth Nagar border. “All field commanders are on the ground as directed by the headquarters. Vigilance is stringent and every vehicle is being checked,” a senior officer said, adding that the escapees were unarmed.
India reacted with urgency. The Cabinet Committee on Security met in New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring: “The violence in Nepal is heart-rending... The stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us.” Security has since been scaled up across the 1,751-km frontier guarded by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Also read: 27 arrested in Nepal amid violent Gen Z protests
In Uttar Pradesh, checkpoints from Pilibhit to Maharajganj were reinforced under a “preventive alert”, with 73 new posts activated and night patrols intensified. Over 200 trucks are stranded in Bahraich, while passenger services from Gorakhpur to Sonouli have halved.
Neighbouring Bihar sealed borders across seven districts, including sensitive Raxaul. Traders voiced frustration as perishable goods spoiled at standstills. “I decided to return… there is unrest in Nepal,” said Rajendra Rastogi, a local trader forced to abandon his journey. Tourism, too, came to a halt as visitors turned back at the last minute.
Further east, West Bengal heightened checks at Panitanki and Pashupati near Darjeeling. A new police post was set up at Panitanki, with joint patrols alongside Nepalese forces.
Uttarakhand deployed reinforcements to Jhulaghat in Pithoragarh, where families on both sides anxiously awaited word from relatives. Himachal Pradesh bolstered patrols at high-altitude passes to block infiltration attempts.
The disruptions have struck at trade. India-Nepal bilateral exchanges, valued at nearly USD 8.5 billion in 2024-25, now face severe delays. Hydropower flows to northern India risk disruption, while consumer-goods supply chains remain fragile.
Air travel has also been paralysed. Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport remains shut, with flights by Air India, IndiGo and Nepalese carriers cancelled or redirected. “Do not come to the airport until flight movement is operational,” authorities appealed, as airports in Lucknow and Varanasi prepared to handle spillover traffic.
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