The Nihangs who had stormed the gurudwara in Rudraprayag’s Nagrasu on Saturday night to protest the arrest of four of their community members on assault charges refused to vacate the premises even on Monday.

The situation remained tense in the area, with the intruders announcing from the second floor of Gurudwara Langar Damdama Sahib that several Nihangs from across the country would converge at the site for a massive protest on June 25. They also pelted the police with stones from the terrace of the shrine, asserting that they would not relent till the four accused were released.

Rajiv Swaroop, inspector-general of police of Garhwal, said: “Two out of seven Nihangs came out last night and went home, but five are still inside. However, the langar (daily community feast) and ardas (daily prayers) are continuing at the gurudwara as usual (on the ground floor).”

“The standoff is a fallout of a dispute between gurudwara members and the visiting Nihangs. It has nothing to do with the attack in Karnaprayag,” Swaroop claimed.

However, locals said that the Nihangs were demanding the release of their friends who were arrested in Karnaprayag on June 17 for attacking and injuring four locals over a parking dispute on their way to Hemkund Sahib.

While returning from Hemkund Sahib, seven Nihangs had barged into the Nagrasu gurudwara, 16km from Karnaprayag, and allegedly took two members of the shrine hostage on Saturday evening.

“They are angry with us because we are not speaking for the Nihangs arrested in Karnaprayag. They had released one hostage on Saturday night and another on Sunday night. They have locked themselves in the second floor. They are threatening to kill us whenever we try to talk to them. Still, we will not lodge any police complaint against them and help them leave the place peacefully,” said Behant Singh, head of the gurudwara management committee.

Government sources said the incident had affected the Char Dham Yatra, with a sudden drop in the number of devotees. Karnaprayag is a stopover point for those travelling to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. Devotees bound for Badrinath and Kedarnath halt at Rudraprayag.