PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Jyotirmath
A day after the violent brawl broke out between some Sikh pilgrims and locals in Karnprayag, the Govind Ghat Gurudwara administration has issued a statement appealing to the Sikh devotees not to take the law into their own hands even if any dispute arises during their pilgrimage. Besides, the Gurudwara administration urged the Sikh devotees to not use weapons like swords in case of any dispute, said the manager, Govindghat Gurudwara, Seva Singh.
Notably, the pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib started on May 23. This year, the number of pilgrims is showing a steady increase. While returning from Hemkund Sahib, some Nihang pilgrims got embroiled in an altercation with a local identified as Prakash Rawat and it escalated to the point where two Nihang pilgrims attacked some locals with sharp weapons, leaving four injured.
A case was registered at Karnprayag police station based on a complaint filed by one of the injured Gajpal Singh. The SP Chamoli, Surjeet Singh Panwar stated categorically that anyone involved in any form of hooliganism would not be spared. Given the sensitivity of the matter, police are maintaining vigilance in the area to prevent recurrence of violence. Currently, the situation is completely under control, police claimed.
