A group of Nihangs allegedly held a Sikh devotee hostage on the terrace of a gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, demanding the release of four sect members who were arrested after the violence in Karnaprayag on June 16.
Police officials were trying to negotiate with Nihang’s family, assuring them that no action would be taken against them and that they would be given safe passage back to Punjab if they released the devotee, PTI reported. However, the group has not responded to these assurances at the time of writing this report.
The gurdwara is located in Nagrasu district, between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath Highway.
Read also | ‘Swords are not for offensive purposes’: Hemkund Sahib Trust chief after the clash
Sardar Beant Singh, who built Gurdwara Nagrasu, told reporters that a group of six Nihangs arrived at the shrine on Saturday evening and requested 50 to 60 rooms, claiming that an equal number of Sikhs were expected to arrive from Punjab to hold a demonstration against the arrest of four Sikhs in the June 16 incident.
When the gurdwara administration rejected their request, the Nihangs allegedly turned violent, took an elderly Sikh follower hostage, and moved to the upper floor of the gurdwara, where they locked themselves.
What is the June 16 incident?
Nihang’s four followers were arrested in connection with a clash on June 16 which reportedly started after an altercation over a parking lot near a hotel in Karnaprayag Market.
A group of Nihang pilgrims were returning after offering prayers at Sri Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara when they got into a heated argument with locals in the market.
The pilgrims allegedly attacked the other group with swords, wounding four local residents. One pilgrim from Nihang was also injured in the clash.
Later, four Nihang pilgrims, all residents of Mohali in Punjab, were arrested in connection with the incident.
The six nihangs who arrived at Nagrasu Gurdwara had reportedly come from Mohali to stage a sit-in protest on Sunday against what they described as “unilateral action” by the authorities in the Karnaprayag incident.
(with PTI inputs)
