By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun/Rudraprayag: 23 Jun: Officials today claimed that the standoff at Nagrasu Gurdwara on the Badrinath Highway in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district is on the way towards resolution. It has been claimed that the five Nihang Sikhs who had remained on the roof of the gurdwara have finally agreed to come down after discussions with a delegation that arrived from Punjab today.
The Punjab delegation reached Nagrasu Gurdwara today and held talks with the five Nihang Sikhs who had been occupying the roof for the past four days. Following the discussions, the Nihang Sikhs agreed to descend from the roof. In view of the sensitivity of the situation, security personnel continue to remain deployed outside the gurdwara.
Meanwhile, the President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Harmeet Singh Kalka, also commented on the Karnaprayag Nihang Sikh controversy. He said that a DSGMC delegation had met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and discussed the incident that took place in Karnaprayag on 16 June 2026.
Kalka stated that the Chief Minister was closely monitoring every aspect of the matter and had listened to the concerns raised by the delegation. Referring to the action announced by the Director General of Police, he said a committee had been constituted to investigate the matter. He expressed confidence that action would be taken at the earliest and that the authorities would also act on the cross-FIRs registered in the case. He added that assurances had been given that police personnel accused of assaulting a youth would be questioned and appropriate action would be taken against them.
The CM, too, issued a statement today claiming that the issue is being resolved peacefully with the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhavah and added that the administration is holding talks with all concerned.
However, the perception that prevails among the people and the local people in Nagarasu and the Rudraprayag district is quite different from what the district administration has been claiming. The district administration as well as the police have insisted from the beginning that the stand-off at Nagrasu is a result of differences and dispute between the Nagrasu Gurdwara management and the Nihangs, whereas the people still hold the opinion that by downplaying the incident, the government and the police seem to be going soft on the Nihangs who had occupied the Nagrasu Gurdwara in support of the demand that the Nihang Sikhs arrested by the Karnaprayag Police after the violence on 16 June when some Sikhs had reportedly assaulted the locals with swords. In fact, many locals feel that the government is under pressure to go soft on the arrested Sikhs. They also feel that the administration ought to have taken strict action and ought to have adopted a tough approach towards the Nihangs who took over the possession of the part of the Gurdwara property. Instead, the administration and the police chose to adopt the route of soft persuasion.
It may be recalled that, at Nagrasu Gurdwara, on the evening of 20 June, a group of Nihang Sikhs had arrived and allegedly created a disturbance. Police were called to the spot and, upon their arrival, members of the group climbed on to the roof of the gurdwara. During the incident, two sevadars of the gurdwara were held hostage by the Nihangs. Although the sevadars were later released, the Nihangs continued to remain on the roof.
Considering the seriousness of the situation, personnel from the local police as well as the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were deployed outside the gurdwara. After extensive persuasion by the police and district administration, two Nihang Sikhs came down and apologised to the Rudraprayag administration, following which they were allowed to return home. Subsequently, two more Nihang Sikhs descended to collect food, and one of them was taken into custody by the police. However, four to five Nihang Sikhs continued to occupy the upper floor of the gurdwara until the arrival of the Punjab delegation. Official sources claimed that the talks between the delegation and the Nihang Sikhs proved successful, paving the way for a resolution of the standoff.
According to reports, the Nihang Sikhs occupying the upper floor of Nagrasu Gurdwara were angered by the Karnaprayag incident. On 16 June, a group of Nihang Sikhs travelling on motorcycles was returning after paying obeisance at Hemkund Sahib when they became involved in an altercation with local residents in Karnaprayag. The dispute reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation.
During the clash, one Nihang Sikh allegedly wielded a sword, resulting in injuries to several people. The police subsequently arrested three Nihang Sikhs in connection with the incident. Since then, tension has prevailed in the area. The Nihang Sikhs present at Nagrasu Gurdwara had also been demanding the release of those arrested in the Karnaprayag case, which further intensified the dispute. The issue had drawn attention at the highest level, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also holding discussions with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the Nagrasu Gurdwara controversy.
