No hostage situation at Rudraprayag Gurdwara, says Uttarakhand administration; granthi alleges vandalism, stone-pelting

A dispute at a Gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district triggered rumours of a takeover and hostage situation, prompting the local administration on Monday to issue a clarification that no such incident had occurred and that normal activities at the shrine were continuing.

District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said prayers, langar services and movement of devotees at the Nagrasu Gurdwara were proceeding without disruption. He urged people not to spread or believe unverified claims circulating about the situation.

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According to the district administration, the disagreement involved Nihang Sikhs, members of the Gurdwara management and Sikh sevadars residing at the premises.

Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand: Nihang Sikhs have occupied the Nagarasu Gurdwara on the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage route and have been staying there for the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, concerns have grown following reports of the alleged abduction of a 55-year-old Sikh pilgrim. The Nihang… pic.twitter.com/yfjUDdhdQ1

— IANS (@ians_india) June 22, 2026

“A dispute erupted at a Gurdwara in Nagrasu between Nihang Sikhs, the Gurdwara management and the Sikh sevadars who live there. The Ardaas, Langar and prayers at the Gurdwara are all running smoothly and peacefully. The movement of people through the Gurdwara is also continuing normally. No one is facing any problems,” Mishra told ANI.

He said reports suggesting that the shrine had been taken over, that anyone had been held hostage, or that violence had broken out were incorrect.

“Don’t pay attention to rumours that the Gurdwara has been taken over, that someone has been taken hostage, or that any violence has occurred. No such incident has taken place. The Gurdwara’s management committee is operating in a completely peaceful environment. There are no problems of any kind,” he added.

#WATCH | Rudraprayag, Uttarkhand | DM Vishal Mishra says, “A dispute erupted at a Gurdwara in Nagarasu between Nihang Sikhs, the Gurdwara management, and the Sikh sevadars (servants) who live there. The Ardaas, Langar, and prayers at the Gurdwara are all running smoothly and… pic.twitter.com/UePIbmoiZV

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 22, 2026

Gurdwara granthi alleges attacks and damage to property

While the administration maintained that the situation was under control, the Gurdwara’s granthi, Baba Beant Singh, levelled a series of allegations against a group that had been staying at the shrine.

According to Singh, the individuals arrived at the Gurdwara on June 20 and allegedly became involved in altercations with volunteers soon after reaching the premises. He claimed they were nevertheless allowed to stay overnight and were provided food.

“They came here the day before yesterday and started fighting. They started beating and abusing the volunteers. Even then, we let them stay overnight and provided them with food. They started fighting with us again the next morning. Still, we tried to reason with them and make them leave,” Singh alleged.

#WATCH | Rudraprayag, Uttarkhand | Baba Beant Singh, Gurdwara Nagrasu, says, “They came here day before yesterday and started fighting. They started beating and abusing the volunteers. Even then we let them stay overnight. Provided them with food. They started fighting with us… pic.twitter.com/7RNJjOwm5F

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 22, 2026

Singh claimed tensions escalated the following morning when the group allegedly confronted volunteers again. He said the Gurdwara management attempted to persuade them to leave peacefully.

Claims of stone-pelting and vandalism

The granthi further alleged that after noticing police personnel outside the premises, members of the group moved to the upper floors of the building and began pelting stones.

“When we were leaving, they saw the police outside. They thought they were there to arrest them because they had been up to nefarious activities. So they went straight up to the fifth floor. They took over the place, broke the walls, and started throwing stones at us, the police, the people outside and the shopkeepers. We have covered this incident with our drones,” Singh alleged.

He also claimed that the group damaged solar panels installed on the building, disrupted water supply to the Gurdwara and caused significant losses to the property.

“They haven’t taken food from us, saying that they doubt that we would poison their food. They’ve cut off our water supply. They’ve destroyed the entire building’s solar panels. They’ve been vandalising all night. They’ve caused us losses worth lakhs,” Singh alleged.

Following the incident, the Uttarakhand government suspended internet services in the area from Saturday night until Sunday afternoon. Authorities said the situation has since returned to normal.