Kathmandu, Mar 17 (PTI) Multiple copies of a book by Chinese President Xi Jinping were burnt at a college in Nepal, leading to the Chinese mission here issuing a diplomatic note to the Home Ministry, officials said on Tuesday.
According to media reports, old books were burnt at the Manmohan Technical Institute in Koshi province's Morang district on Saturday to make space in the college library.
These included several copies of 'The Governance of China' written by Xi, the reports said, quoting the college administration.
"We have heard through social media that some books, including one 'The Governance of China' written by Xi, were burnt in the Manmohan Technical Institute, and the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu expressed concern over the incident through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Home Ministry spokesperson Ananda Kale told PTI.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Home Ministry along with a diplomatic note issued by the Chinese Embassy drawing the attention of the Nepal government to the matter," reads a statement issued by the Home Ministry.
Following this, the ministry initiated the process to take action against those involved in the incident.
According to the Home Ministry, it sent a letter to the Nepal Police and the District Administration Office of Morang to investigate the matter and take necessary legal action against the culprits.
"This is a serious matter related to our neighbourhood, and given our close relations with China, we cannot tolerate such incidents. Since this is a sensitive issue, we are trying to find out the truth," Yuvaraj Kattel, the chief district officer of Morang, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post newspaper.
Kattel said the college administration told him that due to a lack of storage space and the need to clear the room, junior staffers burned the books and other items.