Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said the state government was taking impartial action in the Nagrasu dispute in close coordination with the administration and police.
Talking to mediapersons, Dhami said senior officials and the Director General of Police had been keeping a close watch on the matter and were in touch with all the parties involved.
Referring to the incident, the Chief Minister said the government, administration and police were acting fairly and taking action against those involved. He said several delegations had met officials over the past few days and that the DGP had remained in constant contact. Dhami also pointed out that the Char Dham Yatra was underway and that the number of pilgrims visiting the state this year had risen sharply. He said the pilgrim count was nearing 40 lakh, while footfall at Hemkund Sahib had also gone up by 20,000 to 25,000 compared to last year, crossing 1.25 lakh in the initial days.
Dhami said the situation linked to the Nagrasu dispute was now largely under control and legal action would continue against those found guilty.
"All parties have been informed of the situation; there is no longer an issue, and appropriate legal action is being taken against those found guilty--a process that will continue. Uttarakhand is Devbhoomi, a place where everyone is respected. I want to tell everyone that Gurdwaras and all our religious sites are places of deep faith and reverence. We should not engage in any act that diminishes our own dignity or harms religion. We must avoid causing harm to the faith, and if there are any issues, people should discuss them--dialogue will lead to solutions," he added.
Meanwhile, administrative sources said efforts were still underway to defuse the standoff linked to the June 20 incident at the Nagrasu gurdwara. Discussions were also being held with Nihang Sikh groups. Officials said the situation in and around the gurdwara remained peaceful.
Authorities said traffic on the National Highway was moving normally and drone surveillance was being used in the area as a precautionary measure.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) met Dhami and discussed the altercation between Sikh pilgrims and local residents in Chamoli’s Karnaprayag. The committee said the Chief Minister was closely monitoring the matter and had assured prompt action.
DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka said the delegation discussed the June 16 Karnaprayag incident with the Chief Minister.
He said Dhami heard their concerns and assured them that action would be taken soon. Kalka also referred to the committee formed by the DGP to probe the matter and said the delegation had been assured that complaints related to all FIRs would be looked into. He added that the role of police personnel accused of manhandling Sikh youths would also be investigated.
The tension began on Saturday evening and was linked to a separate clash that took place in Karnaprayag on June 16. A Nihang group that arrived at the Nagrasu gurdwara from Mohali had sought arrangements for a large protest over the arrest of four of its associates in connection with that earlier incident.
Also read: Nihang-admin standoff continues for second day in U'khand
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