Lucknow: Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli‘s controversial remarks that Lord Ram was born in Thori near Birgunj and the real Ayodhya lies in Nepal caused a lot of stir amid rising tensions between Nepal and India.
Days after Oli’s remarks, a Nepali man was tonsured and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Nepal PM Murdabad’ in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. A case has been registered and the accused have been arrested.
Video of the shocking incident went viral on social media. The video features a Nepali man sitting cross-legged near a river and being forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram, ‘Vishwa Hindu Sena Zindabad’, ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ and ‘Nepal PM Murdabad’.
This happened in Varanasi, UP.
Nepali man tonsured, forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and anti-Nepal slogans.
‘Jai Shri Ram’ was also written on the man’s scalp by the members of Hindutva outfit. pic.twitter.com/pJSfib6ywY
— Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) July 17, 2020
While speaking to media about the video, SSP Amit Pathak confirmed that one of the persons involved in the incident has been arrested. The man, Santosh Pandey, was the one who shot the video.
SSP Amit Pathak confirmed to media persons that one of the people involved in the incident has been arrested. Further investigations into the matter are underway.
“A video has gone viral in which Arun Pathak, a person who runs an organisation, was seen tonsuring a man’s head. Pathak did it in anger over a statement by Nepal PM. A case has been registered and efforts are on to nab the person,” Vikas Chandra Tripathi, Superintendent of Police, Varanasi City told reporters .
Meanwhile, several top Nepalese political leaders from different parties slammed PM Oli for making ‘senseless and irrelevant’ remarks, and asked him to withdraw his controversial statement on Ayodhya.
“PM Oli’s statements have crossed the limit. Extremism only creates trouble,” former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai tweeted.
In his sarcastic remark, Bhattarai said, “Now let’s hope to hear the new Ramayan of Kaliyug from PM Oli.”
“Such silly, unconfirmed and unproven remarks by the Prime Minister was not desirable. PM Oli’s attention seems to have been drawn towards damaging Nepal’s relations with India instead of improving them, which is not appropriate,” said Kamal Thapa, former foreign minister and president of the pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
PNN/Agencies