The standoff at the Nagarasu gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag has been resolved peacefully with a group of Nihang Sikhs who were holed up at the shrine since Saturday evening vacating the premises after talks with a delegation of sect members from Punjab, officials said on Tuesday.
“The gurdwara management and the police administration worked together to resolve the issue peacefully. All those involved have now left the premises, and normalcy has been restored,” District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said.
Around half a dozen Nihang Sikhs had stormed the Nagarasu Gurdwara, situated between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath Highway, on the evening of June 20. They climbed onto the roof and blocked the entrance to the terrace while demanding the release of Nihang Sikhs arrested in connection with an incident that took place in Karnaprayag town of Uttarakhand on June 16.
Mishra said on Tuesday that the police control room had received information on the evening of June 20 regarding a clash between Nihang Sikhs and gurdwara volunteers. Following the complaint, a police team arrived at the spot.
According to officials, the dispute began when a group of Nihang Sikhs demanded accommodation for their upcoming demonstrations, which the gurdwara management could not fully provide due to limited capacity. The situation escalated following which the group moved upstairs to occupy the higher floors.
During the confrontation, the Nihang Sikhs climbed onto the roof and the topmost floor of the gurdwara.
Despite the administration’s appeals, they had refused to vacate the premises.
On Tuesday, a delegation of Nihangs from Punjab met the group in the gurdwara and the premises were vacated.
Eyewitnesses said that the Nihangs have been receiving food and other supplies while remaining on the roof. They also allegedly resorted to occasional stone-pelting to avoid being apprehended.
Gurdwara manager Sardar Beant Singh had claimed on Sunday that the Nihangs had held a person hostage for some time before later releasing him.
The gurdwara, built a few years ago in Nagarasu, is used by Sikh devotees travelling to and from the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage.
The district authorities urged the public not to pay attention to rumours regarding the incident. They assured that the ongoing Shri Hemkund Sahib and Shri Kedarnath Dham pilgrimages are proceeding smoothly under full police vigil.
The standoff followed an earlier incident on June 16 in Karnaprayag, where a minor dispute between local residents and Nihang Sikhs escalated into violence. The Nihangs allegedly brandished swords, injuring a few locals, while one Nihang Sikh was also hurt. Following the clash, the police had registered a case and arrested four Nihangs.
A section of Sikh community had accused the administration of “one-sided” action.
According to information provided by the state police headquarters, allegations made by various Sikh organisations regarding police conduct and behaviour in connection with the Karnaprayag incident have been assigned for investigation to Deputy Inspector General of Police Yashwant Singh, who has been asked to submit his report within two weeks.
