A nearly 72-hour standoff at a gurdwara in Uttarakhand ended on Tuesday after a group of Nihang Sikhs occupying the shrine agreed to leave following talks with a delegation from Punjab, officials said.
The group had been inside the Nagarasu Gurdwara in Rudraprayag district since 20 June, when around six armed Nihangs entered the shrine and took up positions on its roof.
Officials said the men, who were carrying swords and spears, blocked access to the terrace and demanded the release of Nihang Sikhs arrested in connection with an incident in Karnaprayag town on June 16.
Authorities said the standoff ended peacefully after discussions with representatives of the Sikh sect from Punjab.
"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 said.
The Nagarasu Gurdwara is located between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath Highway. Officials said the Nihangs entered the shrine on the evening of 20 June and climbed onto the roof, where they remained for nearly three days before agreeing to vacate the premises.
Mishra said on Tuesday that the police control room had received information on the evening of June 20 regarding a clash between Nihang Sikhs and gurdwara volunteers.
Following the complaint, a police team arrived at the spot.
According to officials, the dispute began when a group of Nihangs demanded accommodation for upcoming demonstrations, which the gurdwara management could not fully provide due to limited capacity.
The situation escalated into an altercation, following which the group occupied the higher floors. During the confrontation, the Nihang Sikhs climbed onto the roof and the topmost floor of the gurdwara. Despite the administration's appeals, they had refused to vacate the premises.
On Tuesday, a delegation of Nihangs from Punjab met the group in the gurdwara and the premises were vacated.
Eyewitnesses had said that the Nihangs were receiving food and other supplies while remaining on the roof. They also allegedly resorted to occasional stone-pelting to avoid being apprehended.
Gurdwara manager Sardar Beant Singh had claimed on Sunday that the Nihangs had held a person hostage for some time before later releasing him.
The gurdwara, built a few years ago in Nagarasu, is used by Sikh devotees travelling to and from the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage. The district authorities urged the public not to pay attention to rumours regarding the incident. They said that the Shri Hemkund Sahib and Shri Kedarnath Dham pilgrimages were proceeding smoothly under full police vigil.
The standoff followed an earlier incident on June 16 in Karnaprayag, where a minor dispute between local residents and Nihang Sikhs escalated into violence. The Nihangs allegedly brandished swords, injuring a few locals, while one Nihang Sikh was also hurt. Following the clash, the police had registered a case and arrested four Nihangs. A section of Sikh community had accused the administration of "one-sided" action.
According to information provided by the state police headquarters, allegations made by various Sikh organisations regarding police conduct and behaviour in connection with the Karnaprayag incident have been assigned for investigation to Deputy Inspector General of Police Yashwant Singh, who has been asked to submit his report within two weeks.
(With inputs from PTI)