Patiala: Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, who has been recently booked for rape and murder in a 2012 case, is not new to controversies.
In Aug 2020, Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had ordered his boycott, directing the Sikh community across the world not to attend his congregation, listen to him, or share his videos on social media until he apologised for his remarks.
The direction had come after its five-member sub-committee formed to probe his alleged objectionable comments against Sikh Gurus and principles of Sikhism submitted its report under its then coordinator Chamkaur Singh that Dhadrianwale did not turn up for clarification despite several efforts.
In Sept 2021, he faced a defamation case after Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee member from Fatehgarh Sahib, filed a criminal defamation case against him in the sessions court. This was in response to his alleged objectionable remarks during public speeches against him and his father Hari Singh Randhawa, terming them as “Gapaur Sankh” (gossiper) and misleading masses about Sikhism.
Gurpreet had then claimed that his father was a Sikh preacher and, after 10 years of dedication, wrote the “Steek” (translation with meaning) of Guru Granth Sahib. He had alleged that Dhadrianwale had defamed him and other Sikh preachers who were students of his father.
H S Dharni, Gurpreet’s counsel, said, “The criminal complaint was filed on Sept 17, 2021, and the case is in the arguments stage, with a hearing fixed this week.”
Dhadrianwale, who has been advocating logical and scientific philosophy rather than preaching according to Sikh practices, has built gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar Sahib at Sheikhupur village of Patiala on the Patiala–Sirhind bypass.
Earlier, Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma landed in a conflict with him over the difference in ideology of narration of Sikh history and interpretation of Gurbani. On May 17, 2016, an attempt on Dhadrianwale’s life was made in which his fellow Sikh preacher Bhupinder Singh was killed.
On July 5, 2021, Dhadrianwale appeared for over three hours before a SIT in Patiala in relation to the Kotkapura firing case, in which he is also one of the prime witnesses. The Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing case took place on Oct 14, 2015, when two Sikh activists died while some others were injured after police opened fire on people sitting in protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib that took place in Bargari on Oct 12, 2015.