Home Minister Urges End to Religious Conflict, Hindu Front Suspends Protest

Home Minister Sudhan Gurung has said Nepal must not witness any form of religious conflict, stressing that people of all faiths should live together in peace and harmony. Speaking to the media after holding talks with leaders of the United Hindu Front and other protest groups in Dhanusha, Gurung said maintaining social harmony, religious tolerance, and national unity is a shared responsibility. He urged all stakeholders to resolve recent disputes through dialogue and cooperation. Following two rounds of discussions at the Dhanusha District Administration Office, the United Hindu Front submitted a 13-point memorandum to the government and announced the suspension of all protest programs. The memorandum includes demands such as initiating discussions on declaring Nepal a Hindu nation within three months, strengthening action against religious violence and hate speech, regulating the use of loudspeakers at religious sites, reviewing the legal basis of religious commissions, investigating foreign funding of religious institutions, and reconsidering legal cases against those arrested during protests linked to the Dewanganj incident. The Front said it decided to withdraw its agitation after the discussions and submission of its demands.