Daijiworld Media Network - Rudraprayag

Rudraprayag, Jun 20: A shocking video from Uttarakhand has surfaced online, capturing a violent clash between two groups of men at a bus stand on the Kedarnath Yatra pilgrimage route. The men, armed with wooden sticks and rods, were seen attacking each other, creating panic among bystanders and drawing widespread outrage on social media.

The video, shared by X user @UttarakhandGo, was captioned: “Earlier, Indian pilgrims travelled to holy sites for peace and darshan, but nowadays we have goons going to Kedarnath and Badrinath with rods and sticks always ready for a fight.” The footage shows some individuals cornering unarmed men and raining blows in full public view.

Such violent incidents have become increasingly frequent since the start of this year’s Yatra season. Police have taken swift action and arrested those involved in the viral video.
Authorities in Sonprayag, an important halt on the Yatra path, were forced to resort to lathi charges to disperse the crowd and maintain law and order. Officials stated that additional security arrangements are being made along major points of the route to prevent further disturbances.

This year’s Kedarnath Yatra has seen record numbers, with over 1.14 million devotees visiting the sacred shrine since it opened on May 2.