A day after a tense face-off between a large group of Nihang Sikhs and security personnel at the Kulhal border check post near Paonta Sahib of Sirmaur district, normalcy returned along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border on Friday.

The group left for Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh in the early hours of Friday following negotiations with the authorities.

After meeting police and district administration authorities, the Nihangs left the gurdwara premises at Dehradun in the wee hours in vehicles under police escort.

The authorities, however, continued to maintain heightened security across the interstate border in view of the recent developments linked to the Karnaprayag dispute in Uttarakhand.

The sequence of events began on Thursday when hundreds of Nihang Sikhs travelling from Punjab towards Uttarakhand assembled at the historic Gurdwara Paonta Sahib before heading towards the Kulhal border late at night.

Following directions from the Uttarakhand administration, the police established barricades to stop the group from entering the state, citing concerns over law and order in the wake of recent tensions in Karnaprayag and the Nagrasu Gurdwara issue.

Senior officials from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with representatives of the Sikh community, held extensive discussions in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully. Although a large number of Nihang Sikhs agreed to return after the talks, a section of the group reportedly crossed the barricades, leading to a brief confrontation with police before entering Uttarakhand. No major injuries were reported during the incident.

Police presence remained strong on Friday at key locations in Dehradun district and along the interstate border. Officials said the situation was under control, with most members of the Nihang group having dispersed or returned, while vehicular movement resumed without disruption after the overnight tension.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state government had full respect for every religious community, but made it clear that no one would be permitted to take law into their hands. He asserted that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disturb public order.

The border standoff is rooted in the developments that followed the June 16 incident at Karnaprayag in Chamoli district, where a dispute involving some Nihang Sikhs and local residents over parking reportedly escalated into a clash, leading to arrests and heightened tensions. The arrests prompted protests and demands from Nihang organisations for the release of those detained, eventually culminating in Thursday’s mobilisation towards the Uttarakhand border.

Officials of both Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have appealed to the public to maintain peace and avoid rumours, while assuring that the situation is being closely monitored to prevent any further escalation.