Dehradun, Dec. 11 -- The state Congress committee on Wednesday said Uttarakhand was a peaceful state, but some people were trying to disrupt the harmony and peace in the state. The statement came a day after members of the Sikh community staged a protest outside former minister Harak Singh Rawat's house in Dehradun over his alleged anti-Sikh remark. Harak Singh Rawat last week triggered a controversy as he mocked a Sikh man during a political rally with the insulting phrase 12 baj gaye. It led to protests against him in Dehradun and other parts of the state and condemnation from Sikh leaders across the country. The party said that the protest by a group of people from the Sikh community outside Rawat's house shouldn't be linked to the entire community. Speaking on the issue, Congress leader Amarjeet Singh said: "The Sikh community of Uttarakhand strongly condemns the protest held outside the residence of former cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat. The administration must deal with the matter firmly, and legal action should be taken against those found attempting to disturb peace in the state in the future." "...comments on photos, videos, and posts circulating on social media clearly reveal who is attempting to divide society and mutual brotherhood, and who is trying to gain political mileage from the incident, despite Harak Singh Rawat's public regret and apology. Everyone should understand that petty and selfish politics is being played in the name of Sikhs in the hill state. This incident outside the minister's residence should not be linked to the Sikh community; it appears to be a purely sponsored protest," he said. "The Sikh community in Uttarakhand has always given the message of mutual love and brotherhood, and it will continue to uphold the same resolve in the future as well," Singh added. Amid the controversy, former minister Rawat on Sunday visited the Paonta Sahib Gurdwara in Himachal Pradesh to apologise and offer his services over his objectionable remark. UKPCC chief Ganesh Godiyal also described Rawat's remark as "slip of tongue". On Monday, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Harak Singh Rawat's remarks about the Sikh community, calling them reflective of the Congress party's "disgusting mentality," which it claimed stemmed from the events of 1984. Former minister and state spokesperson Khajan Dass said, "No matter how much their leaders pretend to apologise, the public will never forgive them. It is an unforgivable act. He said people had not forgotten the 1984 riots, claiming that Congress leaders were responsible for the deaths of thousands of Sikhs and had sown animosity between Hindus and Sikhs to divide society. He further alleged that the public clearly remembers the Congress appointing individuals accused in the riots as ministers at the Centre....