At Dera Ballan today, PM to visit temple, address gathering; likely to rename Adampur airport after Guru Ravidas

Jalandhar: Security has been tightened and all arrangements finalised for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan— the most influential dera of the Ravidassia/Ad-dharmi community — on Sunday.Following the presentation of the Union Budget, the PM is expected to land at Adampur airport and reach the dera around 4 pm for a meeting with dera head Sant Niranjan Dass.
The PM is scheduled to pay obeisance at the temple and address a gathering. A major announcement is expected during the visit regarding the renaming of Adampur airport after Guru Ravidas. Sant Niranjan Dass, who is returning from Guru Ravidas's birthplace in Varanasi via a special train, is expected back by Sunday noon. The Centre recently awarded him the Padma Shri, honouring his 75-year legacy as a spiritual leader and his contributions to healthcare and education through the Sarwan Dass Charitable Eye Hospital and Model School. The govt's citation lauded him for promoting the ideal of ‘Beghampura' (a land without sorrow), where all live without fear or poverty. The Prime Minister's visit and the high-profile Padma award come amid the BJP's intensified efforts to connect with Scheduled Caste voters. Local party leaders have lined the approach roads with hoardings welcoming the PM and expressing gratitude for the honour bestowed upon the dera head. On Saturday, a security mock drill was conducted. Senior BJP leader Avinash Chander, overseeing the site preparations, confirmed the PM would spend approximately one hour at the dera. Former MoS Vijay Sampla added that the visit would strengthen social harmony and spiritual consciousness, expressing hope that the PM's presence would bring global recognition to Guru Ravidas's teachings. MSID:: 127822369 413 |