Fierce Uttarakhand Nihang angry mob clashes and riots at the state border turned Dehradun district into a state of high-level security zone on Friday. The incident happened late Thursday night when an armed group breached police barricades at the Kulhal check post after severe clashes with the police.
According to reports, high tensions prevail at the Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand border after a large group of Nihang Sikhs clashed with police personnel, breached multiple layers of barricades at the Kulhal checkpoint in the Vikasnagar area, and marched towards Hemkund Sahib, a significant Sikh pilgrimage destination.
The entire zone had been converted into a high-alert security area by authorities in anticipation of ensuing intense riots and severe clashes over earlier disputes at Karnprayag and Nagrasu gurdwaras. Heavy police contingents were deployed behind reinforced barricades.
Despite these arrangements, the angry mobs succeeded in breaking through the security cordon after series of clashes with police personnel. Eyewitnesses from the site showed a dense security deployment attempting to hold positions as the group pushed ahead along the pilgrimage route.
Nihang Sikhs maintain that they will not return to Punjab until four Nihang Sikhs arrested in connection with the Karnprayag incident are released. The arrests stem from a violent clash on June 16 in Karnaprayag, where a dispute between local residents and members of the Nihang community resulted in bloody clashes, using swords and arms.
Presently, the situation remains highly tensed along the Uttarakhand border, with security forces maintaining a strong presence while both sides continue to hold their positions amid ensuing clashes.
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