KATHMANDU (PTI): Tension has gripped various towns in western Nepal following desecration of a religious place and the religious book of a particular community in Dang district in Midwestern Nepal.

According to home secretary Yogendra Nath Ojha the miscreants tried to set fire to the religious site but police foiled the attempts. However there was no report of police having resorted to firing or made arrests in this connection.

While an undeclared curfew was clamped down in the entire area news spread across the border to places like Rupaidiya Bahraich and Nanpara in Uttar Pradesh.

Trouble started on the Deepavali and Nepali Laxmi Puja day when a particular community protested against blaring songs on the public address system disturbing their usual prayers. This irkeda Nepali Congress activist who went inside the shrine beat up the people in prayer and tore off the religious book.

On assurance by the chief district officer that the culprits would be arrested tension subsided.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 13, 1992