KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday held consultations with the chiefs of Nepal’s security agencies over the situation that emerged following the Hindu-Muslim clashes in Kaptanganj, Sunsari, on Sunday.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister repeatedly asked the same question raised earlier by Home Minister Sudhan Gurung on Monday: “How was gunfire used?” However, according to sources present at the meeting, he did not receive a clear answer.

Participants said Prime Minister Shah was less focused on the broader causes of the Sunsari violence or measures to resolve the crisis, and instead concentrated on determining why live rounds were fired. Looking directly at Nepal Police Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki and Armed Police Force Inspector General Narayan Datta Poudel, the Prime Minister repeatedly sought an explanation, but neither security chief responded.

The meeting also reviewed several other law-and-order issues, including the protests by victims of loan sharking, Durga Prasai’s planned march, the ongoing doctors’ movement, and demonstrations by education consultancy operators. Despite these discussions, the Prime Minister remained primarily focused on identifying who ordered and carried out the firing in Sunsari.

Shah clarified that he would not interfere in the operational plans prepared by the security agencies for maintaining law and order. Nevertheless, he continued to press for answers regarding the use of firearms during the Sunsari incident.

Inspector General Karki informed the meeting that investigations are underway into the firing, the fatalities, incidents of arson, and reports of misconduct against individuals. The Prime Minister, however, was reportedly not satisfied with that explanation and continued to seek the identity of the person responsible for the shooting, though no definitive answer was provided.

According to security sources, senior security officials also expressed concern over questions seeking the names and ranks of officers who authorized and executed the use of force during crowd-control operations. They argued that such actions are carried out under established command procedures when necessary to restore public order.