Dehradun: Tension escalated along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border late Thursday night after a large group of Nihang Sikhs broke through police barricades at the Kulhal check post in the Vikasnagar area and proceeded towards Hemkund Sahib.
Visuals from the spot showed heavy security deployment at the Kulhal-Vikasnagar border, with police personnel equipped with riot-control gear stationed behind barricades.
Security arrangements had been tightened after Nihang organisations announced their march into Uttarakhand. The heightened alert followed the recent dispute linked to the Karnaprayag and Nagrasu gurdwaras.
According to officials, the Nihang group had travelled from Mohali in Punjab. The Kulhal check post had been converted into a high-security zone to prevent their entry into Uttarakhand.
Superintendent of Police Pankaj Garola said some protesters managed to break through the barricades and move ahead. He added that efforts were underway to maintain law and order.
The local Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), tehsildar and other administrative officials reached the spot and held talks with the Nihang representatives, but no concrete resolution was reached.
After being stopped at the Kulhal border, the situation turned tense. Several Nihang Sikhs, dressed in traditional blue attire and carrying swords, sticks and other traditional weapons, attempted to push past the barricades.
The protesters said they would not return to Punjab until the four Nihang Sikhs arrested in connection with the Karnaprayag incident were released.
A representative of the group told reporters that they wanted to complete their religious journey peacefully in accordance with Sikh traditions and prayers.
