Tensions simmer as TikTok row, mosque vandalism push Madhesh to the brink

JANAKPURDHAM / BIRGUNJ – A short video on TikTok, the vandalism of a mosque in a rural village, and days of street protests in a major border city have combined to push Nepal’s Madhesh Province into one of its most serious bouts of communal tension in recent years. The unrest, centred in Dhanusha and Parsa districts but felt across the southern plains, has laid bare how fragile relations between Hindu and Muslim communities have become amid social media outrage and increasingly aggressive street politics.

Spark from a TikTok video (late December 2025)

The latest wave of tension began in late December 2025 in Kamala Municipality of Dhanusha district after a TikTok video surfaced showing two young men making remarks widely perceived as insulting to Hindu religious sentiments. The clip, believed to have been recorded in or around Janakpur, spread rapidly through local messaging groups, provoking anger in nearby towns and villages.

Within hours, community leaders and activists escorted the two Muslim youths allegedly featured in the video to the local police office, demanding their immediate arrest for hurting religious feelings. Police detained them, along with at least one more individual accused of involvement, and initiated a case under provisions related to religious offence and social harmony. But the detentions did little to cool tempers; instead, the video continued to circulate with inflammatory captions, and calls for “action” began to echo across both online and offline spaces.

Local administrators attempted to appeal for calm, assuring protesters that the matter would be handled legally. However, as political and religious actors inserted themselves into the dispute, the original content of the video mattered less than the narrative being built around it that one community’s faith had been humiliated and that a firm response was necessary.

Mosque vandalism deepens the crisis (around 1–2 January 2026)

The situation took a darker turn around 1–2 January 2026 in Sakhuwa Maran, a settlement in Kamala Municipality‑6, where a local mosque became the target of retaliation. A group of men entered the mosque compound, reportedly breaking doors and windows and damaging items used for daily prayers. Residents say religious texts, including copies of the Quran, were torn or burned, leaving the community shocked and fearful.

Images and short clips from inside the vandalised mosque quickly appeared on social media, showing broken furniture, shattered glass and scattered pages on the floor. For many Muslims in the area, the attack was not just an act of property damage but a direct assault on their identity and security. Community elders questioned why the authorities, who knew that tempers had been rising over the TikTok issue, failed to secure vulnerable religious sites in time.

Police responded by increasing patrols in and around Sakhuwa Maran and announcing a separate investigation into the vandalism. Officials insisted that those responsible would be identified and prosecuted. But by then, the narrative had already shifted from an online insult to a cycle of insult and revenge, deepening mistrust between neighbours who had shared markets, schools and local institutions for decades.

Protests and curfew in Birgunj (3–6 January 2026)

What began as a localised dispute in Dhanusha soon erupted into a major law‑and‑order challenge in Birgunj, the commercial hub of Parsa district and one of Nepal’s busiest border cities. On 3 January 2026, news and visuals of the mosque vandalism travelled quickly to Birgunj, where the Muslim community organised protests demanding swift justice and stronger protection for their religious sites.

On 3 and 4 January, demonstrators gathered at several major junctions in the city, including prominent chowks and market areas, chanting slogans and blocking roads with burning tyres. Shops in some neighbourhoods pulled down their shutters as rumours of possible clashes spread, and traffic was disrupted on key routes connecting the city to the border and to the interior of the province.

In response, groups of Hindu youths also began to mobilise, some on motorcycles carrying flags and shouting slogans. They accused the original TikTok video makers and protesters of repeatedly insulting Hindu beliefs and criticised what they saw as a weak and one‑sided response from the state. As rival gatherings edged closer to each other, the city’s tense calm gave way to direct confrontation.

Stone‑pelting was reported in several areas on 4 January, and at least one police post and vehicles were damaged in the melees. Security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse crowds, and baton charges were used to clear intersections where rival groups refused to back down. Residents described a city on edge, with people stuck in their homes and worried about how quickly the situation had spiralled.

Administration clamps down (curfew from 4 January 2026)

Facing the prospect of sustained unrest, the Parsa District Administration Office imposed a curfew in sensitive areas of Birgunj from the evening of 4 January 2026. The curfew covered major parts of the city’s core, including busy commercial stretches and mixed residential neighbourhoods considered vulnerable to communal flare‑ups. Movement of people was restricted during specified hours, and gatherings were banned.

The curfew, first enforced overnight from 4 to 5 January, was extended through 5 January and into 6 January as small groups tried to reconvene despite prohibitory orders. Armed police and Nepal Police personnel were deployed at junctions, near religious sites and along approach roads to the India border. Checkpoints were tightened, and vehicles were searched for weapons or items that could be used in street confrontations.

Across the border, Indian authorities at Raxaul increased vigilance at crossing points in the first week of January, concerned that people or messages from either side could further inflame tempers. The normally busy cross‑border flow of shoppers, traders and travellers slowed markedly as many chose to stay home.

Officials in Parsa and Madhesh Province repeatedly appealed to both communities to remain calm and allow the legal process to take its course. They also held meetings with religious leaders, business associations and local representatives to persuade them to publicly denounce any call for violence.

Madhesh on high alert (early January 2026)

The knock‑on effects of the Dhanusha and Birgunj events have put security agencies across Madhesh Province on high alert in early January 2026. In districts such as Janakpur, Sarlahi, Siraha and Bara, local administrations have increased patrols around mosques and temples, particularly in mixed localities where tensions can spread quickly through rumours.

Police have been instructed to watch for provocative religious processions, unauthorised rallies and incendiary speeches. Authorities are also monitoring social media more closely, tracking accounts and pages that actively share distorted or inflammatory content about the incidents. Several districts have warned that they will invoke legal measures against hate speech, regardless of whether it comes from Hindu or Muslim individuals or groups.

Local governments and civil society organisations are trying to create spaces for dialogue, organising small‑scale meetings with imams, priests, social workers and youth leaders. These meetings focus on reassuring communities, countering rumours and discouraging any retaliatory violence that could trigger wider unrest.

Still, beneath the surface, many residents admit that the latest events have sharpened lines of suspicion. In some villages, people report that small daily interactions sharing tea stalls, discussing politics, doing business—have become more strained and cautious.

Echoes of earlier clashes (2023–2025)

For many in Madhesh, the current crisis feels less like an isolated episode and more like part of a troubling pattern. In August 2025, for instance, Janakpurdham saw a Ganesh idol immersion procession on around 30–31 August descend into chaos when it passed through a Muslim‑majority lane and arguments over flags and the route escalated into stone‑pelting and clashes.

In September 2023, Malangawa in Sarlahi experienced days of tension after a religious procession near a mosque triggered confrontations and arson, prompting authorities to impose a curfew that lasted several days. Further west, areas in Kapilvastu and towns like Nepalgunj witnessed their own cycles of social media controversies, street protests and emergency security measures between 2016 and 2023.

These episodes share recurring features: a quickly spreading video or post, competing narratives of victimhood and insult, mobilisation of youths on both sides, confrontations at symbolically charged locations, and finally, the imposition of curfews and prohibitory orders. Each incident leaves behind unhealed grievances and a sense of insecurity that makes the next flare‑up more likely.

Social media, symbolism and street power

Social media has become a central battleground in these conflicts. Short clips, photographs and unverified claims are circulated with emotionally charged captions, often stripped of context and edited to provoke maximum outrage. By the time authorities issue clarifications or try to correct misinformation, the damage is frequently done.

On the ground, the geography of confrontation is not accidental. Processions insist on passing through or near the other community’s religious or residential areas, sometimes escorted by sound systems, motorcycles and loud slogans. Protests tend to occupy central chowks, highways and border approach roads, where visibility and disruption are highest.

Flags, religious symbols and amplified slogans serve as markers of presence and power in contested spaces. Residents say these displays can feel intimidating, especially when they involve large groups of young men on motorbikes or foot, moving into neighbourhoods they do not normally frequent in such numbers.

State response and unresolved challenges

Security officials argue that their swift imposition of curfews, deployment of additional forces and targeted arrests have prevented larger‑scale violence and loss of life. But rights groups, local journalists and community workers question why potential flashpoints—such as inflammatory online content or provocative route choices for processions are not dealt with more proactively through dialogue and lawful preventive measures.

Enforcement against hate speech remains inconsistent. Many cases are pursued only after physical damage occurs, reinforcing a perception that those who act early and loudly on the street can shape the narrative. Victims of vandalism and families of those injured in clashes often face long delays in receiving compensation or seeing cases progress through the justice system.

In the latest crisis, both Hindu and Muslim communities are watching closely to see whether the state treats offences against their faiths equally and transparently. Any perception of bias, delay or political interference could deepen grievances and be weaponised by hardline voices on either side.

As Birgunj moves through the first week of January 2026 under curfew and the residents of Sakhuwa Maran continue to survey the damage to their mosque, Madhesh stands at a critical juncture. The region’s history is rich with examples of coexistence and shared struggles, but the speed at which rumours spread and crowds gather has changed. Whether institutions, political leaders and community elders can rebuild trust faster than anger travels will determine whether this remains a painful but contained episode or becomes a turning point in the communal landscape of Nepal’s southern plains.