Nihangs storm gurudwara, take Sikh devotee hostage
A group of Nihangs, armed with spears and swords, allegedly stormed a gurudwara 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 on Saturday evening, and efforts were underway to persuade the six Nihangs holed up in the gurudwara to come down.
The Rudraprayag district magistrate and the superintendent of police reached the gurudwara in Nagrasu and urged them to vacate the premises. The Garhwal Commissioner has also arrived in Rudraprayag to handle the situation. However, police said the six Nihangs who had locked the third floor leading to the terrace continued to remain on the roof of the gurudwara.
People responsible for managing the gurudwara said the Nihangs had asked for “50-60 rooms” to be arranged to house protesters who would come for a demonstration against the clash in Karnaprayag, Chamoli.
When the gurudwara failed to do it, the Nihangs resorted to violence, warning the authorities against any forceful action against them, they said.
According to the police, the Nihangs engaged in vandalism, then took an elderly Sikh devotee who was at the gurudwara to the roof and started raising slogans. They are armed with spears, swords, axes, and kirpans, they said.
The 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 gurudwara 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.
