More than 200 Nepalis held up in Raxaul of India were unable to enter Nepal after Indian security personnel refused to release them, citing lack of any order to that effect from higher authorities in India.

Parsa District administration had prepared to bring in 222 Nepalis from 22 districts, who were staying in Hajarimal quarantine in Raxaul. Whether they will be allowed to return is uncertain as Indian security personnel refused to release them.

Earlier, there had been an understanding to send Indian nationals stranded in Nepal to India and bring Nepali nationals stranded in India to Nepal by securing necessary cooperation with the different levels of governments of both countries.

As per the understanding, 210 Indian nationals staying in different quarantine facilities in Birgunj were handed over to Indian authorities yesterday.

“We were supposed to receive the 222 Nepalis, but as there was lack of cooperation among different bodies on the Indian side, this could not happen,” said Assistant Chief District Officer Lalit Basnet.

As Indian security personnel have prevented other Indian nationals too from returning to India from Nepal from yesterday, spurned Indian nationals, who were denied entry into their own country chanted slogans against their government.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 22, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.