A group of six Nihangs, armed with spears, swords, axes, and kirpans, stormed a gurdwara in Nagrasu, Rudraprayag, on Saturday evening and took an elderly Sikh devotee hostage on the roof, police said on Sunday. The hostage-taking is a direct demand for the release of four Nihang members arrested after a clash in Karnaprayag, Chamoli, on June 16.
Standoff and Police Response
A heavy police force was deployed at the scene following the standoff that began Saturday evening. The Rudraprayag district magistrate and superintendent of police reached the gurdwara and urged the Nihangs to vacate the premises. The Garhwal Commissioner also arrived in Rudraprayag to handle the situation. However, the six Nihangs, who have locked the third floor leading to the terrace, continued to remain on the roof.
Police said efforts were underway to persuade the Nihangs to come down. Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar assured them of safe passage back to Punjab, but the matter remained unresolved as of Sunday evening.
Sequence of Events at the Gurudwara
According to Beant Singh, who manages the gurdwara with Sardar Sukhdev Singh, the Nihangs arrived from Mohali, Punjab, around 4 pm on Saturday and demanded that 50-60 rooms be arranged for Sikhs arriving for a protest against the Karnaprayag incident. When the gurdwara failed to meet this demand, the Nihangs resorted to violence, engaging in vandalism, taking the elderly devotee to the roof, and raising slogans. They warned authorities against any forceful action.
The Nagrasu gurdwara, located between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath Highway, serves Sikh pilgrims travelling to and from Sri Hemkund Sahib. It was built a few years ago by Sardar Sukhdev Singh and Sardar Beant Singh.
Background: The Karnaprayag Clash
The hostage crisis stems from a June 16 clash in Karnaprayag market, Chamoli. A group of Nihang pilgrims returning from prayers at Sri Hemkund Sahib got into a war of words with locals over parking near a hotel. The altercation escalated, and the pilgrims allegedly attacked the other group with swords, injuring four locals. A Nihang pilgrim was also injured in the clash. Subsequently, four Nihang pilgrims, all from Mohali, Punjab, were arrested in connection with the incident.
Some Nihangs later appealed to the Nagrasu gurdwara managers for support regarding a proposed sit-in protest on Sunday to oppose what they called "one-sided action" over the Karnaprayag incident.
Demands and Ongoing Negotiations
Beant Singh told reporters that the Nihangs are demanding the release of the four detained Nihang Sikhs and also calling for action against the other group involved in the Karnaprayag incident. Authorities are trying to negotiate, but the standoff continues. The six Nihangs remain on the roof, holding the devotee hostage, and have warned against any forceful action.
