Itahari has turned tense after locals torched a stage set up for a mass gathering of United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). Top leaders of the UDMF including Upendra Yadav, Mahanta Thakur and Rajendra Mahato, were scheduled to address the assembly on Friday. The stage put up in the sub-metropolis's Paschim Line, near Seuti Khola, was set ablaze by local youths as they chanted slogans against India. They alleged that the Madhesi agitation was backed by India. Security has been heightened in the city to prevent any untoward event following the incident. Security personnel have formed a security barricade, successfully restricting the UDMF cadres and locals to opposing sides, preventing them from crashing.