3 weeks ago
New moral police in Punjab: Nihang Singhs accused of raids
Some people who dress like Nihang Singhs, a group of Sikh warriors, are in trouble in Punjab, India.
They went to a public park in Ludhiana and told women to stop dancing and making videos, saying their clothes were not okay.
They filmed themselves doing this on Facebook.
They also went to the home of a woman who makes funny videos with her family and made her say sorry on camera.
The woman said making videos is how her family earns money, so they cannot stop.
The police said nobody has the right to tell people what to wear or what videos to make.
The woman and her husband were arrested but got bail, and now both sides are complaining about each other.
Last year, a different Nihang leader was accused of hurting another video maker very badly.
Some real Nihang leaders say these people are not true Nihangs and are just wearing the clothes to cause trouble.
Many people are arguing about who is right and what should happen next.
On July 26, a Nihang group called 'Tarna Dal 96 Crori' streamed a Facebook Live 'raid' of a Ludhiana public garden, accosting women over sleeveless dresses, dancing and making reels.
Days earlier, a group led by Manpreet Singh Khalsa entered Ludhiana influencer Ranjit Kaur's home over her Instagram reels, forced a video apology, and later got an FIR filed against her and her husband under the IT Act.
Ludhiana DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said no one has the right to object to anyone's clothes, social media uploads, or sitting in a park, and that the videos would be verified.
In June last year, Nihang leader Amritpal Singh Mehron was accused of murdering influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur in Bathinda; he was deported from Dubai and arrested by Punjab Police in April.
Baba Budha Dal spokesman Sukhjeet Singh Kanhaiya said no real Nihang indulges in moral policing, as anyone can wear a 'bana' and claim to be one.
The article also lists earlier Nihang-linked violent incidents, including a 2020 Patiala police attack, a 2021 Singhu border lynching, a 2022 Amritsar murder, a January 2024 Kapurthala murder, and a June clash in Karnaprayag, Uttarakhand.
- Who
- Nihang Singh groups in Punjab led by Kuldeep Singh Khalsa and Manpreet Singh Khalsa, plus social media influencers Ranjit Kaur and Kanchan Kumari, and police officials including Ludhiana DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja.
- What
- Nihang groups are accused of moral policing: raiding parks and homes in Ludhiana to confront women over clothes, dancing and social media reels, forcing apologies, and filing cross-complaints.
- Where
- Ludhiana, Punjab, India, with referenced incidents in Bathinda and Amritsar.
- When
- The park raid was on July 26 and the home visit days before; the article also cites a June murder case from last year and incidents from 2020 to June this year.
- Why
- The groups say they want to stop 'obscenity' and pollution of Punjab's culture, while police and influencers say no one has the right to police clothing or social media posts.
Police, influencers and established Nihang bodies
Nihang vigilante groups
Moral policing of clothing and social media
Police, influencers and established Nihang bodies
Ludhiana DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said no one has the right to object to anyone's clothes, stop reels, or stop people sitting in a park; the mother of an accosted girl said the government and law do not stop their work.
Nihang vigilante groups
Kuldeep Singh Khalsa said he and his 'fauj' only counsel women on the wrong path, accusing them of wearing 'half-naked clothes', dancing and making reels, and said 'they have polluted Punjab'; Manpreet said they stop those who put a blot on Punjab's culture.
Right to earn a living from social media
Police, influencers and established Nihang bodies
Ranjit Kaur said the reels are her family's only source of livelihood, that she cannot be expected to stop without Rs 50,000 a month for groceries, and her husband said Punjab belongs to them too and questioned where the Nihangs' money comes from.
Nihang vigilante groups
Manpreet Singh Khalsa said the apology video was a warning, and that if people won't mend their ways, an FIR will be registered against each one of them.
Authentic Nihang identity
Police, influencers and established Nihang bodies
Baba Budha Dal's Sukhjeet Singh Kanhaiya said no real Nihang Singh indulges in moral policing and that anyone can wear a 'bana' and claim to be one just to save their skin.
Nihang vigilante groups
The accused groups present themselves as Nihangs and 'dear armies of the guru', saying they can enter anyone's house if the person is giving a wrong message to society.
Key facts
- Accused group (park raid)
- 'Tarna Dal 96 Crori', led by self-styled jathedar Kuldeep Singh Khalsa
- Accused group (home raid)
- Manpreet Singh Khalsa and aides of 'Pakhand Bhajao, Punjab Bachao'
- Key incident
- July 26 Facebook Live 'raid' at a prominent public garden in Ludhiana
- Influencer targeted
- Ranjit Kaur, Ludhiana-based social media influencer who posts family reels
- Legal action
- FIR against Kaur and husband under the IT Act for 'posting obscene content'; couple granted bail
- Police stance
- Ludhiana DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja: no right to object to clothes, reels or sitting in a park
- Murder case referenced
- Influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur killed in Bathinda in June last year; Amritpal Singh Mehron accused
- Mehron's status
- Deported from Dubai and arrested by Punjab Police in April; he had posted a video claiming responsibility
Quotes
Manpreet Singh Khalsa
Leader of Pakhand Bhajao, Punjab Bachao organization, a Nihang vigilante group
“"These women roam around wearing half‑naked clothes, dance and make reels, sit with their lovers. We won’t allow all this in Punjab… If sugar is kept uncovered, flies will get attracted."”
indianexpress.com
“"We can go to anyone’s house if they are giving a wrong message to society… We can’t stop anyone from making videos but we can stop those who will put a blot on Punjab’s culture."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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