Rautahat, April 17 -- India open border has long allowed the easy movement of Indian-registered vehicles across the Madhesh province. But in recent weeks, the growing presence of the vehicles with Indian registration on roads in the province-and a renewed crackdown by local authorities-has sparked a contentious debate over whether such mobility is a necessity or a regulatory failure.

According to provincial and local authorities, stricter monitoring has become unavoidable as the unauthorised use of Indian-registered vehicles has surged, raising concerns about security, tax evasion and legal accountability. Yet political parties and many locals argue that tightening controls risks disrupting long-standing social and economic ties across t...