The standoff began on Saturday. Around half a dozen Nihang Sikhs, armed with swords and spears, had stormed a gurdwara located on the Badrinath Highway.
The nearly 72-hour standoff involving a group of Nihang Sikhs at a gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district ended on Tuesday evening as they vacated the premises of the shrine after talks with a delegation from Punjab, according to officials.
“The gurdwara management and the police administration worked together to resolve the issue peacefully. All those involved have now left the premises, and normalcy has been restored,” Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Videos circulating on social media showed the Nihangs leaving the gurdwara on their motorcycles, with police personnel facilitating their safe and orderly exit.
The standoff began on Saturday. Around half a dozen Nihang Sikhs, armed with swords and spears, had stormed the gurdwara, which is located on the Badrinath Highway. They climbed onto the roof and blocked the entrance to the terrace.
The scene unfolded after four members of their sect were arrested in connection with an incident that took place in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on June 16.
According to officials, the dispute in Rudraprayag began when a group of Nihang Sikhs demanded accommodation for upcoming demonstrations, which the gurdwara management could not fully provide due to limited capacity.
The situation later turned into a confrontation. Following the escalation, the group occupied the higher levels of the shrine. During the confrontation, the Nihangs climbed onto the gurdwara’s roof and the topmost floor.
They remained there despite repeated requests from the administration to vacate the premises. Eyewitnesses claimed that the Nihangs received food and other supplies while they remained on the roof.
They also allegedly resorted to occasionally throwing stones to avoid being overpowered. Gurdwara manager Sardar Beant Singh claimed on Sunday that the Nihangs held a person hostage for some time before releasing him.
Authorities claimed the face-off was an isolated incident which took place due to a local accommodation dispute.
Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police (SP) Neeharika Tomar said the police control room received information about a dispute between gurdwara sevadars (volunteers) and arriving Nihang pilgrims at 3.40 pm on June 20.
“The local administration, police, and the gurdwara management committee immediately initiated dialogues. Over the last two days, three Nihangs had come down safely, and today, a visiting delegation from Punjab mediated a final resolution,” she said, adding that a thorough probe is underway and details of all individuals present have been recorded.
“The gurdwara was never locked, nor was there any structural capture. Daily ardas (prayers), langar (community kitchen), and the movement of devotees continued smoothly. The Shri Hemkund Sahib and Char Dham Yatras are proceeding seamlessly,” the senior police official added.
On Tuesday, a delegation of Nihang Sikhs from Punjab met the group in the gurdwara and the premises were vacated thereafter.
Speaking to reporters after the breakthrough, Baba Gargaj Singh, a member of the five-member delegation from Punjab – which included representatives from Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Jalandhar, and Sri Anandpur Sahib – said, “Just like the five fingers on a hand are not identical, people have different mindsets. These youths acted out of an aggressive mindset and showed restlessness, but they are our children. We used dialogue and counsel to resolve the matter, after which they relented, sought blessings, and left.”
He also emphasised that weapons in Sikhism are meant strictly for self-defence and protecting the weak, not for intimidation. Expressing relief, gurdwara manager Sardar Beant Singh expressed gratitude towards the local administration, police, media, and the local public, noting that the minor structural damage would be repaired.
He said the gurdwara management requested authorities not to file a case against the protesting Nihangs or detain them.
“Disputes can happen between brothers. We requested the authorities to let them return to Punjab peacefully. The administration accepted our plea, and the youths were fed langar and respectfully sent back in vehicles,” Singh said.
The standoff followed an earlier incident on June 16 in Chamoli, where a minor dispute between locals and another group of Nihangs escalated into a physical clash.