The bitterness flaring between Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma

jALANDHAR: The bitterness flaring between Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma led Damdami Taksal had its manifestation at gurdwara in San Jose, California which is one of the largest in North America. The incident came to light when a scuffle took place after sympathizers of the Taksal staged a protest inside the hall when Dhadrianwale was delivering a religious discourse in the congregation. Police entered the Gurdwaraand intervened to restore peace.
Several people of the community expressed anguish in light of the incident. Ironically, the event contrasts the goodwill of Californian Sikhs who had earlier rushed truckloads of relief material to Houston after Hurricane Harvey devastated the area.

Later, in a statement, the Gurdwara management committee condemned the attack as `shameful demonstration of disorder' by the outsiders who came in with a motive of disrupting peace and sanctity of the place.

“None of them were sangat members of the gurdwara.We had been tipped about the protest and had placed security and police but still went on with the program as Gurus have taught us to be nirbhay (fearless) and nirvair (enemity to none). Dhadrianwale is scheduled to address gatherings from September 15 to 18 and the incident took place on the first day itself.

As he was delivering a monologue, some protesters carrying placards started a demonstration against Dhadarianwale. 

as they(protesters) turned up the chaos raising voices, he (Dhadarianwale) asked the sangat to stay quiet and brushed the protesters off by reading out loud from the placards. He responded to one of the placards that read `Dhadrianwala an agent of the government' and said that even kids are aware of who the `sarkari pithu' was. (agent of the government).

“The motive of the protesters was to make a video clip of the protest and make satirical comments also,“ he said.

Without taking any name he said `their Baba has been behaving like a waiter of Badal' and iterated the murderous attack on him (by Taksal supporters) when his cavalcade slowed down at a `chabeel' on Burewal road in Ludhiana last year which left one of his associates Bhupinder Singh dead at the scene.

“Even though cops could have indicted these individuals, we chose a peaceful dialogue with them (disruptors).These individuals were allowed to sit and demonstrate.There is a method of protest and they had wronged and created disorder in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahibji,“ the gurdwara panel said.