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A radical of Nihangs, equipped with spears and swords, stormed a gurdwara successful Rudraprayag and took a Sikh devotee hostage connected the extortion of the gathering to request the merchandise of 4 members of the sect who were arrested pursuing a clash successful Chamoli connected June 16, constabulary said connected Sunday (June 21, 2026).
A dense constabulary unit was deployed astatine the tract pursuing the standoff that began connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) evening and is inactive on, adjacent though the territory medication connected Sunday (June 21, 2026) said the concern is afloat nether power and peaceful.
An serviceman said constabulary are parleying with a Nihang subordinate astir ending the hostage situation.
"The police, territory administration, and the Gurudwara absorption committee are successful changeless dialog with the Nihang Sikhs, attempting to recognize their concerns and find a solution," Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar said.
"The talks person yielded affirmative results; 1 of the Nihangs has travel down from the extortion to talk with the medication and police, and dialog with the remaining individuals is ongoing," she said.
According to the connection issued by District Magistrate Vishal Mishra, the Nihangs person locked the 3rd level starring to the terrace wherever they person been holding an aged Sikh antheral hostage.
The gurdwara absorption said the Nihangs had asked for "50-60 rooms" to location protesters who would travel for a objection against the apprehension of 4 members of their sect implicit a clash successful Karnaprayag, Chamoli.
When the gurdwara failed to bash it, the Nihangs resorted to violence, informing the authorities against immoderate forceful enactment against them, they said.
According to the police, the Nihangs engaged successful vandalism and past took the Sikh antheral who was astatine the gurdwara to the rooftop and started raising slogans. They are equipped with spears, swords, axes, and kirpans, they said.
Mr. Mishra said, "An interior quality took spot wrong the gurudwara. Police and administrative officials are contiguous connected tract to support instrumentality and order. There is nary disruption of immoderate kind. Everything is proceeding peacefully." He added that the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage continues, and activities specified arsenic 'ardas', 'langar' are going connected arsenic accustomed astatine the gurdwara.
Four Nihangs were arrested successful transportation with a clash that took spot connected June 16 implicit parking adjacent a edifice successful Karnaprayag market.
The radical were returning from Sri Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara erstwhile it got into a verbal spat with locals astatine the market.
The pilgrims allegedly attacked the different radical with swords, injuring 4 locals. A Nihang was besides injured successful the clash.
Consequently, 4 Nihangs, each from Mohali, Punjab, were arrested.
Later, immoderate Nihangs approached the managers of the Nagrasu gurdwara, appealing to them to enactment their protest, projected to beryllium held connected Sunday, against the "one-sided action" successful the Karnaprayag incident.
According to the police, Sardar Sukhdev Singh and Sardar Beant Singh had built the Nagrasu gurdwara a fewer years ago, and the 2 are liable for its day-to-day management.
Located betwixt Rudraprayag and Gauchar connected the Badrinath Highway, the gurdwara serves Sikh pilgrims travelling to and from Sri Hemkund Sahib.
Beant Singh told reporters that the Nihangs arrived astatine the gurdwara from Mohali astir 4 p.m. connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) and demanded that 50-60 rooms beryllium arranged for much of them arriving for a protest.
When the petition could not beryllium met, helium said, the Nihangs created a ruckus, rushed to the 3rd floor, blocked its entrance, held a antheral hostage, and took power of the area.
Beant Singh said SP Tomar has assured the Nihangs of harmless transition backmost to Punjab from the gurdwara, but the standoff continues.
The Uttarakhand authorities has ordered an enquiry into the Karnaprayag clash.
