The protesters said they would not return to Punjab until the four Nihang members arrested in connection with the Karnprayag incident were released.
High drama unfolded at the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border on Thursday evening after a group of Nihang Sikhs breached police barricades at the Kulhal checkpoint in Dehradun district and proceeded towards Hemkund Sahib amid heightened security.
The Uttarakhand administration had deployed heavy police personnel at the Kulhal barrier following an announcement by Nihang groups that they would march towards the state over the ongoing dispute at the Karnaprayag and Nagrasu gurdwaras.
District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Dobhal supervised the security arrangements, while vehicle checks were intensified at the border.
The Nihang jatha had set out from Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan in Mohali and was stopped by Uttarakhand Police at the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. Officials held multiple rounds of talks with the group at the Kulhal barrier and the nearby Paonta Sahib Gurdwara.
A section of the protesters, however, pushed through the barricades and moved ahead.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pankaj Gairola said, “We are trying to maintain the law and order situation under control.”
Speaking on the situation, SSP Dehradun Pramendra Dobhal said, “Dehradun police have been on full alert at the Kulhal barrier since this morning, and at around 5:00, some Nihangs had come from Zirakpur… Several rounds of talks were held with them at the barrier, as well as at the nearby Paonta Sahib Gurudwara… Some people accepted our demand and stayed put but a small group of about 15 to 20 people tried to break through another barrier. We are all here regarding this… Any such incident will be dealt with with utmost severity… There has been some talk of people returning… The police will make every effort, with minimum force, to ensure that this is resolved.”
The march comes amid tensions linked to the June 16 incident in Karnaprayag, where a dispute between local residents and another group of Nihang Sikhs escalated into violence. Amid the dispute, the Nihangs allegedly brandished swords, injuring a few locals, while one Nihang Sikh also got hurt. Police arrested four Nihangs in connection with the incident.