Dhadrianwale cancels Nov 14 event after protest by Damdami Taksal

AMRITSAR : Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale has cancelled a three-day congregation slated to start from November 14 at Ranjit Avenue, after protests from Damdami Taksal rank and file. The followers of Dhadrianwale and the Taksal have differences over issues related to Sikh history and principles.

In a video posted on social media, Dhadrianwale declared that he would not attend the event to prevent any untoward incident. Fearing that clashes like the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash may occur in case the event is organised, various Sikh groups, associated to the Taksal, had been requesting the administration to ban the event. They had handed over many memorandum to administrative authorities in this regard.

In May 2016, unidentified people had attacked the convoy of Dhadrianwale while he was returning from a congregation. He had a narrow escape, but his colleague Bhupinder Singh, who was mistaken for him, was killed after a bullet hit his head. The Sikh preacher and the Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma have been at loggerheads since.

Condemning the cancellation a result of 'malicious and motivated' campaign that Damdami Taksal and its ally Sikh bodies had launched against the preacher, Sikh intellectual Gurtej Singh and historian Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon said, “It is unfortunate that the y ‘Gurmat Samagam’ had to be cancelled.”