Prominent leaders pay tributes to Sant Ravidas

The saint gave the immortal message of ‘Mann changa toh katauti mein Ganga’ and he gave a new dimension to the tradition of Sanatan Dharma in India, YOGI ADITYANATH, CM

LUCKNOW : Several top politicians on Saturday paid tributes to Sant Ravidas, a mystic poetsaint born 645 years ago in a Dalit family in Varanasi. The leaders made statements and announcements on the occasion.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minster Keshav Prasad Maurya, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad were the prominent leaders who went to the Sant Ravidas temple at Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath paid floral tributes at the Sant Ravidas temple in Lucknow. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati issued a statement on the occasion.

Adityanath said that his government had started working on the beautification of the birthplace of Ravidas in Varanasi, according to a government statement.

He asked Sant Ravidas Seva Samiti members to make an action plan for it so that the memories of the seer could be cherished.

“The saint gave the immortal message of ‘Mann changa toh katauti mein Ganga’ and he gave a new dimension to the tradition of Sanatan Dharma in India,” he said.

Union minister for petroleum, natural gas and steel Dharmendra Pradhan was the first one among the top politicians to reach the Sant Ravidas temple in Varanasi.

After prayers at the temple, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the feeling of mutual love and the intention to serve people should be upheld in politics as these were the guiding principles of the religion started by Sant Shiromani Ravidas Maharaj. She addressed the followers of

Sant Ravidas and thereafter had prasad (consecrated food) at the langar (community kitchen) organised there.

“I want to say that the religion, which Sant Ravidasji started, is the true religion. A true religion is always simple. It unites people. There is no discrimination in it,” she said.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former chief minister Mayawati, in a statement, said that if voted back to power in Uttar Pradesh, her government would reverse the decision of the Samajwadi Party (SP) government and rename Bhadohi district as Sant Ravidas Nagar. Mayawati also lashed out at the leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the SP and the Congress, accusing them of engaging in “theatrics’ by visiting temples.

“These parties didn’t do anything for Sant Ravidas and now are engaging in theatrics by visiting his temple,” she said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, too, paid floral tributes at Sant Ravidas temple in Varanasi and said his party was committed to working on his teachings of equality and brotherhood. He accepted prasad there, besides seeking the blessings of spiritual leader Swami Niranjan Das, a party statement said.

“Sant Ravidas was a social reformer, revolutionary and independent thinker and strongly opposed wrong practices. His entire life was dedicated to unity, brotherhood and equality in the society. According to him, serving mankind was the real dharma,” he said.

Bhim Army chief Chendrashekhar Azad, who was in Varanasi since Friday, also visited the temple. Outside the temple, he alleged: “Atrocities have increased on Dalits during the present government’s rule in UP.”

BSP CHIEF MAYAWATI SAID IF VOTED BACK TO POWER IN UP, HER GOVERNMENT WOULD REVERSE THE DECISION OF THE SP GOVT AND RENAME BHADOHI AS SANT RAVIDAS NAGAR