Ropar, December 30, 2019: Controversial Dalit religious leader Piara Singh Bhaniara or Bhaniarawala Baba as he was known by his followers, passed away today morning. He was 61.
He complained of chest pain early in the morning after which he was rushed to PGI, Chandigarh, where he breathed his last.
Bhaniara established a breakaway Sikh sect in the 1980s and in 2001, his followers published a holy book and named it Bhavsagar Granth, and they also allegedly insulted the Guru Granth Sahib. This resulted in clashes between Sikhs and Bhaniara’s followers.
Punjab Government banned Bhavsagar Granth and jailed Bhaniara. He was targeted by radical Sikhs and many attempts were made on his life.