Bhai Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale

Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa Dhadrianwale is a Sikh preacher whose congregations are held at Gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar Sahib on the Patiala-Sangrur road. His organisation's website says he was born in July 1983 in Dhadrian village, Sangrur district, and began katha, kirtan and preaching at about sixteen. It says a congregation with Amrit sanchar is held at Parmeshar Dwar on the first Saturday of each month, and that he prefers to be called Bhai rather than Sant or Baba. These are his own organisation's claims and have not been checked independently.

Key moments

• 17 May 2016: his conclave near Ludhiana is attacked and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Dhakkiwale is shot dead.
• 24 August 2020: the Akal Takht issues an edict asking the Sikh community to boycott him until he seeks clemency.
• 21 May 2025: he appears before the five Sikh high priests, who pardon him.

The 2016 attack. Sikh Siyasat News reported on 22 May 2016 that eight people had been arrested, among them Sukhwinder Singh Soni, a follower of the Mehta Damdami Taksal. Media reports said the arrested men told police that the plot was hatched inside the Mehta Taksal without the knowledge of its head, Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma, and that the motive was Dhadrianwale's statements against Dhumma. Soni reportedly said the attackers had meant only to beat and threaten and that Dhadrianwale's men fired first, and the police were reported to be examining whether firing came from both sides. Charanjit Singh, the Taksal's representative in the SGPC, said police were framing the Taksal's supporters. The paper noted that the two preachers had issued statements against each other. In May 2018 The Tribune reported that he had alleged that Taksal members led the attack, a claim it presented as his own. It reported that at a Taksal meeting at Chowk Mehta on 20 May 2018 a spokesperson was alleged to have directed threats at him; the Taksal distanced its head from the remarks, and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh asked the police to increase Dhadrianwale's security and warned the Taksal.

The Akal Takht. The Tribune reported on 22 May 2025 that after complaints that his sermons distorted Sikh history and principles, an Akal Takht sub-committee repeatedly summoned him and he skipped three meetings. On 24 August 2020 the Akal Takht issued an edict asking the Sikh community to boycott him until he sought clemency. In April 2025 the acting Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, invited controversial preachers, him among them, to appear and clarify; Dhadrianwale replied that his statements had been morphed and politically influenced. On Wednesday 21 May 2025 he appeared before the five high priests, acknowledged past mistakes, gave a written apology and said he wanted to preach under the Akal Takht's authority. The five high priests accepted his apology and pardoned him, and allowed him to preach in line with Gurmat and the Akal Takht's code of conduct.