Rudraprayag, Jun 21 (PTI) A group of Nihangs, armed with spears and swords, allegedly stormed a gurdwara here and took a Sikh devotee hostage on the roof of the shrine to demand the release of four members of the Sikh sect who were arrested following a clash in Chamoli on June 16, police said on Sunday.
A heavy police force was deployed at the scene following the standoff that began Saturday evening and continued for more than 24 hours, with the district administration saying Sunday evening that the situation is fully under control and peaceful.
Police sources present at the scene indicated that the six Nihangs who are holed up on the rooftop of the gurdwara have agreed to release the hostage after negotiations with authorities.
However, a statement issued by the DM made no mention of an agreement with the Nihangs who have locked the third floor leading to the terrace, and have been holding an elderly Sikh devotee hostage since Saturday evening.
The Rudraprayag district magistrate and the superintendent of police have visited the site to persuade the Nihangs to come down. The Garhwal Commissioner and senior officials from Rudraprayag district have also arrived in Rudraprayag to handle the situation.
People responsible for managing the gurdwara said the Nihangs had asked for “50-60 rooms” to be arranged to house protesters who would come for a demonstration against the arrest of four members of their sect over a clash in Karnaprayag, Chamoli.
When the gurdwara failed to do it, the Nihangs resorted to violence, warning the authorities against any forceful action against them, they said.
According to police, the Nihangs engaged in vandalism, then took the elderly Sikh devotee who was at the gurdwara to the rooftop and started raising slogans. They are armed with spears, swords, axes, and kirpans, they said.
In a statement, DM Mishra said, “An internal dispute took place inside the gurudwara. Police and administrative officials are present on site to maintain law and order. There is no disruption of any kind. Everything is proceeding peacefully.” He added that the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage is continuing smoothly and activities such as ‘ardas’, ‘langar’ are going on as normal at the gurdwara, and movement of pilgrims also continues.
Mishra also appealed to the public to not pay heed to any rumours regarding the matter.
Four Nihang devotees were arrested in connection with the June 16 clash that stemmed from an altercation over parking near a hotel in Karnaprayag market.
A group of Nihang pilgrims were returning after offering prayers at the Sri Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara when they got into a war of words with locals at the market.
Subsequently, the pilgrims allegedly attacked the other group with swords, injuring four locals. A Nihang pilgrim was also injured in the clash.
Later, four Nihang pilgrims, all from Mohali, Punjab, were arrested in connection with the incident.
Some Nihangs later appealed to the managers of the Nagrasu gurudwara for support regarding a proposed sit-in protest on Sunday to oppose the “one-sided action” taken over the Karnaprayag incident.
Police said Sardar Sukhdev Singh and Sardar Beant Singh built the Nagrasu gurudwara a few years ago and are also responsible for its day-to-day management. Located between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath Highway, the gurdwara serves Sikh pilgrims travelling to and from Sri Hemkund Sahib.
Beant Singh told reporters that the Nihangs arrived at the gurudwara from Mohali, Punjab, around 4 pm on Saturday and demanded that 50-60 rooms be arranged for Sikhs arriving for a protest against the incident that occurred in Karnaprayag.
He stated that when the request could not be met, the Nihangs resorted to violence and created a ruckus.
Singh added that they subsequently moved to the upper floors, blocked the entrance to the third floor, and took control of the area.
He said that the Nihangs are holding a Sikh pilgrim hostage and have warned against any forceful action against them.
Singh noted that they are demanding the release of the Nihang Sikhs detained in connection with the Karnaprayag incident and are also calling for action to be taken against the other group involved in the incident.
He added that the authorities are trying to talk to them and that Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar has assured them of safe passage back to Punjab from the gurudwara, but the matter remains unresolved.
The Uttarakhand government has ordered an inquiry into the recent dispute in Karnaprayag, Chamoli district. PTI DPT SKY SKY
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