Birgunj: Leaders and representatives of eight major political parties in Birgunj convened an all-party meeting on Tuesday to call for calm, unity, and the preservation of social and religious harmony in the city, following a recent clash between two religious communities during a Hanuman Jayanti procession.

In a joint appeal, the parties urged the public to refrain from making inflammatory remarks or engaging in actions that could disrupt the longstanding peaceful coexistence and fraternity among communities in Birgunj.

Hari Pant, district chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), emphasized that the collective message was one of solidarity and peace, asking all groups to "keep intact social harmony" and ensure no further escalation of tensions.

The meeting was attended by representatives from:

-Nepali Congress (NC)

-CPN-UML

-Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)

-Janamat Party

-Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)

-Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP)

-CPN (Unified Socialist)

Simultaneously, local business communities voiced concern over the unrest and requested a peaceful environment for normal business operations in the city, stressing the importance of stability for economic activities.

The incident has drawn attention to the importance of interfaith dialogue and the proactive role political actors can play in maintaining communal peace during religious events.