Gurdwara standoff resolved peacefully, Nihangs vacate premises

A nearly 72-hour standoff at the Nagarasu gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag ended on Tuesday evening as a group of Nihangs holed up at the shrine vacated the premises after talks with a delegation from Punjab, officials said.

“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,” Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said. Videos circulating on social media showed the Nihang Sikhs leaving the Nagarasu Gurdwara premises on their motorcycles, with police personnel facilitating their safe and orderly exit.

Around half a dozen Nihangs, armed with swords and spears, 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. This came after four Nihang Sikhs were arrested in connection with an incident that took place in Karnaprayag town of Uttarakhand on June 16.

According to officials, the dispute began when a group of Nihangs demanded accommodation for upcoming demonstrations, which the gurdwara management could not fully provide due to limited capacity. The situation escalated into an altercation, following which the group occupied the higher floors. During the confrontation, the Nihangs climbed onto the roof and the topmost floor of the gurdwara.