Two days after the amicable settlement of tense standoff at Gurudwara Langar Damdama Sahib at Nagrasu in Rudraprayag district, a jatha of Nihang Sikhs on Thursday left for Uttarakhand from the premises of Gurudwara Singh Shaheedan, Sohana, in Mohali district to intervene in the Karnaprayag clash case.
On June 16, a parking altercation in the Karnaprayag market escalated into violence, leaving multiple locals and one Nihang injured. Four Nihang pilgrims from Punjab were subsequently arrested since then.
After reaching Gurdwara Paonta Sahib on Uttrakhand and Himachal border in the evening, the Nihang Sikh activists of Shiromani Panth Akali Dashmesh Tarna Dal Singh Saheb and Major Singh Sodhi Nankana Sahibwale said that they have been going to show solidarity with their Nihang Sikh fellows who were booked and in police custody after a group clash with locals.
They said they would have dialogue with the authorities concerned convincing them to conduct fair investigation.
“We never aim to indulge in any clash with the local Uttrakhand residents. We will go peacefully approach the Uttrakhand administration. We will try to settle the case requesting them to quash the case and free them,” they said.
They said though the issue has been partially settled down, yet they intend to proceed to Uttarakhand.
Initially, the Uttarakhand Police allegedly took one-sided action by only arresting the four Nihang pilgrims, who reportedly brandished kirpans during the clash with locals.
Following intense pressure from Sikh organisation and individuals, coupled with a 72-hour standoff at the Nagrasu gurdwara, the authorities registered the counter-case on June 20, on the basis of a complaint filed by the father of Manpreet Singh, one among the four Nihang Sikhs, who was injured during the June 16 clash.
Others arrested included Jasanpreet Singh, Ajay Singh and Satwinder Singh, all aged between 21 and 23 years and associated with Sohana Gurdwara.
To address concerns from Sikh organizations about alleged one-sided police action to guarantee neutrality, the investigation has been been transferred from Chamoli to Haridwar district under DIG Yashwant Singh.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Navneet Singh Bhullar is now personally overseeing the investigation.
A five-member delegation of Nihang Sikhs on Wednesday had met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his official residence and later called on the director general of police (DGP) Deepam Seth at the police headquarters to demand a swift inquiry and amicable resolution of the case.
On June 21, the Akali Dal ‘Waris Punjab De’ leaders including Bapu Tarsem Singh, father of jailed MP Amritpal Singh, Faridkot MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa; MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali; Harjinder Singh, a member of the managing committee of Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan, Sohana, and others met the DGP and SSP Bhullar.
Earlier, the Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj had sought an impartial investigation and urged Uttarakhand government to ensure safety and dignity of Sikh pilgrims enroute to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib.
A delegation of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) led by president Harmeet Singh Kalka had also met the Uttrakhand CM and SSP Bhullar
Similarly, the spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (Punjab), Prof Sarchand Singh, had approached the Uttarakhand CM demanding an impartial, and time-bound investigation into the incident involving Sikh pilgrims.
Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa ‘Dhuma’, head of Damdami Taksal and president of the Sant Samaj, stressed that the forces behind such acts of hatred and communal hostility must be exposed to prevent attempts aimed at damaging social harmony, mutual trust, and national unity.
