In a gurdwara in Rudraprayag, a group of Nihangs, armed with spears and swords, stormed the premises and took a Sikh devotee hostage on the roof of the building to demand the release of four members of the sect who were arrested following a clash in Chamoli on June 16, police said on June 21, 2026.
Notably, the Nihangs engaged in vandalism, then took an elderly Sikh devotee who was at the gurdwara to the roof and started raising slogans.
A heavy police force was deployed at the site following the standoff that began on the evening of June 20 and is still ongoing, even though the district administration on June 21 said the situation is fully under control and peaceful.
According to a statement issued by District Magistrate Vishal Mishra, the six Nihangs have locked the third floor leading to the terrace, where they have been holding an elderly Sikh man hostage.
The Rudraprayag District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police reached the gurdwara in Nagrasu and urged them to vacate the premises. The Garhwal Commissioner has also arrived in Rudraprayag to handle the situation.
“The police, district administration, and the Gurdwara Management Committee are in constant dialogue with the Nihang Sikhs, attempting to understand their concerns and find a solution,” said Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar.
She further said, “The talks have yielded positive results; one of the Nihangs has come down from the roof to speak with the administration and police, and dialogue with the remaining individuals is ongoing.”
Gurdwara management 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 gurdwara failed to do so, the Nihangs resorted to violence, warning the authorities against taking any forceful action against them, they said.
The dispute comes in the backdrop of a recent clash in Karnaprayag involving Nihang Sikh pilgrims returning from Hemkund Sahib and local youths. 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 Gurdwara when they got into a war of words with locals in 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 gurdwara 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 gurdwara a few years ago and are also responsible for its day-to-day management. Located between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath Highway, the gurdwara serves Sikh pilgrims travelling to and from Sri Hemkund Sahib.
Beant Singh told the media that the Nihangs arrived at the gurdwara from Mohali, Punjab, around 4 pm on June 20 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.
Beant 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.
He 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.
