A group of Nihangs, armed with spears and swords, allegedly stormed a gurdwara at Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand and took the manager hostage on the roof of the shrine, demanding the release of four Nihangs who were arrested following a clash in Chamoli on June 16, the police said on Sunday.
Heavy police force was deployed at the scene following the standoff that began Saturday evening, and efforts were underway to persuade the Nihangs to come down. The Rudraprayag district magistrate and the superintendent of police reached the site and urged the Nihangs to vacate the premises. However, the Nihangs, who have locked the third floor leading to the terrace, did not relent.
According to the police, the Nihangs engaged in vandalism, took the manager with them 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 a market at Karnaprayag in Chamoli.
A group of Nihangs were returning after offering prayers at the Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara when they got into a war of words with locals at a market. Subsequently, the pilgrims allegedly attacked people with swords, injuring four individuals.
Later, the four Nihangs, hailing from the Mohali district in Punjab, were arrested in connection with the incident.
Some Nihangs had appealed to the managers of the Nagrasu gurdwara for support regarding a proposed sit-in on Sunday, intended to oppose the alleged “one-sided action” over the Karnaprayag incident. When they did not receive the expected cooperation, the Nihangs allegedly created a ruckus at the gurdwara on Saturday evening