Sant Ravidas Jayanti: Narendra Modi to lay foundation stone of seer's memorial in UP; state tightens security ahead of celebrations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday is set to visit the Sant Ravidas temple on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti on during his trip to Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. The temple town is the prime minister’s Lok Sabha constituency. He is also scheduled to address a public meeting and inaugurate projects worth Rs 2,900 crore in the city. [caption id=“attachment_6000671” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI[/caption] Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the Ravidas Janmasthali (birthplace) area development project. As part of the project, a grand park will be constructed with a statue of the seer, reports said. Upon arrival in the state, he will head to the Sant Ravidas temple for the birth anniversary celebrations of the mystic poet of the Bhakti Movement. The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government declared a public holiday on Tuesday in honour of Sant Ravidas. The order was issued by Principal Secretary Jitendra Kumar, PTI reported. However, stringent security arrangements have reportedly been made ahead of the occasion. Police is on “high alert” in sensitive areas, which includes Saharanpur district. Additional Director General of Police (Meerut zone) Prashant Kumar said, “Sant Ravidas Jayanti is a major Dalit festival which includes processions that often pass through sensitive routes. For the past couple of weeks, police and district administration of the entire zone are working to ensure peaceful passage of the festival. Besides, we are keeping in eye on the statues of the Dalit leaders in the region,” as quoted by The Times of India. Several leaders also extended their greetings on the birth anniversary of the seer. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said that it was “necessary” to “imbibe” the thoughts and teachings of the spiritual leader, while Madhya Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel said that Sant Ravidas’ messages are “inspirational and useful” for the society. With inputs from agencies