Three days after communal violence in Dewanganj, Sunsari, saw one person dead and several people injured, Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Home Minister Sudan Gurung are facing mounting criticism for not visiting the affected area.

With curfews still in place and security personnel maintaining a heavy presence in the border municipality, residents say the absence of the country’s top political leadership has deepened public frustration at a time when communities are struggling to restore calm.

As political parties, civil society groups and local organisations hold peace rallies and appeal for communal harmony across the country, many in Dewanganj say they expected the prime minister and home minister to visit the district, assess the situation firsthand and reassure affected communities.

While security agencies continue to patrol the area and political leaders engage in discussions elsewhere, many local residents say they expected the country’s top executive leaders to visit Dewanganj to assess the situation and send a strong message of peace.

“We are deeply disappointed that neither the prime minister nor the home minister has visited the affected area during such a critical time,” said Dipendra Mehta, 35, a farmer from Dewanganj Rural Municipality-1. “We expected the country’s top leaders to take charge after such a tragedy.”

The continuing curfew has also disrupted daily life and agricultural work, residents said.

“People cannot go about their daily work and farming activities have come to a standstill,” said Shivakumar Yadav, another farmer from the same ward. “We need immediate and concrete efforts to restore peace and normalcy.”

Older residents said the area has long been known for communal harmony.

“We have always lived together in peace and brotherhood,” said Mohammad Tahir Miya, 72, of Kaptanganj in Dewanganj-3. “We never imagined something like this could happen here.” He urged the government to conduct an impartial investigation and make its findings public.

Others drew comparisons with the government’s response to incidents in Kathmandu.

“If something happens in the capital city, the home minister reaches the site immediately,” said local resident Anil Mehta. “Why has he not come here?”

Local leaders also accused all three tiers of government of failing to respond swiftly enough during the initial stages of the unrest.

Balaram Mehta, a local leader, alleged that Dewanganj Rural Municipality-3 ward chair Anil Bhagat became unreachable after the violence broke out, while rural municipality chair Bechan Mehta did not answer telephone calls on the day of the incident.

“Had the local government intervened promptly on the first day, this dispute could have been resolved before it escalated,” Balaram Mehta said.

Another resident, Sanjay Mehta, argued that maintaining law and order alone would not be enough to repair strained community relations.

“Restoring trust requires direct dialogue and coordination among the federal, provincial and local governments,” he said. “The prime minister and the home minister must demonstrate that they stand with the affected community.”

So far, Prime Minister Shah has addressed the incident only through social media.

In a Facebook post late on Tuesday, he wrote: “The government’s primary duty is to protect its citizens, prosecute the guilty, and provide justice and compensation to victims. The government will carry this out as swiftly as possible.”

The Home Minister’s Secretariat said Gurung has been closely monitoring the security situation, but his failure to visit Sunsari three days after the violence has drawn growing criticism from residents and opposition leaders.

The government’s handling of the crisis also came under fire from opposition leaders on Wednesday during an all-party meeting convened by Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa criticised what he described as the prime minister’s lack of initiative before the situation deteriorated.

“Is the prime minister supposed to remain aloof during such a sensitive crisis?” Thapa said. “He should be coordinating with political parties, provincial authorities and local governments to resolve the situation, but that initiative is clearly missing.”

Shankar Pokharel, general secretary of CPN-UML, also questioned the government’s response, saying there had been a clear absence of executive leadership.

“There has been a distinct lack of initiative from both the government and the prime minister,” Pokharel told reporters. He also called for a thorough review of why the security apparatus had failed to prevent the violence and contain the crowds before the situation spiralled out of control.

Nepali Communist Party coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal questioned the RSP-led government’s ability to respond to a crisis of national importance, saying it needed to be “more responsible, active and sensitive”. Recalling how political parties had demonstrated unity during past earthquakes, floods and key constitutional milestones, Dahal said the same political maturity and dialogue were needed to address the current situation.

Shram Sanskriti Party’s general secretary Aaren Rai urged security forces to exercise restraint, warning that excessive use of force could further inflame violence.

Janamat Party chair CK Raut also criticised the government’s response, saying that “at the very least, the home minister should have attended today’s dialogue”, and called for decisive executive action to restore public confidence.

The all-party meeting concluded with a seven-point joint statement urging the government to restore normalcy, conduct an impartial investigation, prosecute those responsible and provide relief and compensation to victims. The statement also appealed to the public to refrain from provocative acts, warning that further confrontation would only deepen the crisis.

Despite the mounting criticism, Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting at Singha Durbar did not discuss the Sunsari violence. According to a minister who attended the meeting, the issue was not raised.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel announced the Cabinet’s routine decisions after the meeting. Asked why the government appeared to be overlooking the Sunsari crisis, Pokharel replied briefly that “the Home Ministry, Defence Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office are looking into it” before leaving without taking further questions.

Meanwhile, the government expanded the five-member investigation committee formed on Monday under home ministry’s joint secretary Bhupendra Thapa. A ministerial decision on Wednesday added Inspector Dipesh Awasthi and Superintendent of Police Mohan Singh Dhami to lead ballistic and forensic investigations, increasing the panel to seven members.

At the provincial level, the Koshi government announced a relief package for those affected by the violence. Following an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki on Wednesday, the provincial government decided to provide Rs200,000 to the family of the deceased and Rs50,000 each to those injured and to families whose homes or businesses were damaged in arson attacks.

The meeting also endorsed an eight-point resolution aimed at preserving communal harmony, including coordinated peace rallies, public awareness campaigns and increased vigilance along border areas to prevent further unrest.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Shah on Wednesday received separate security briefings from Inspector General of Nepal Police Dan Bahadur Karki and Armed Police Force Inspector General Narayan Dutta Poudel on the Sunsari violence and the evolving security situation. Home Minister Gurung was present during the meetings.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Shah instructed security agencies to bring the situation under control swiftly, protect lives and property, and closely monitor those seeking to incite communal unrest. He also ordered security agencies under the home ministry to remain on high alert.