Varanasi: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fulfilling Sant Ravidas’s 650-year-old message of equality, social harmony and a caste-less society by ensuring development of all without discrimination.“The dream of an egalitarian society that Sant Ravidas had envisioned is being realised under the leadership of PM Modi. His message– ‘Aisa chahun raj main, jahan mile saban ko ann, chhot-bado sab sam base, Ravidas rahe prasann’– is being treated as the mantra for development,” the CM said.He said this while inaugurating BJP’s over 6-month nationwide social outreach campaign – ‘Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan’– at a public meeting organised near Sant Ravidas birthplace in Seer Govardhanpur on Wednesday.He also made it clear that Bhadohi district will once again be renamed Sant Ravidas Nagar.Yogi said Sant Ravidas showed the path to a discrimination-free society and expressed his immense devotion to river Ganga through ‘Mann changa to kathauti mein Ganga’ slogan. “BJP govt is taking forward the resolve of Viksit Bharat by prioritising the welfare of the person sitting at the last rung of society. Through Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, free ration is being delivered without discrimination to 81 crore people,” he added.He said govt is continuously working to honour saints, great personalities and social reformers.As part of it, Jalandhar Airport has been named after Sant Ravidas Ji and Ayodhya International Airport has been named after Sant Maharshi Valmiki, he said.Targeting the opposition, especially Samajwadi Party, he said SP govt had changed the name of Kannauj Medical College from Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s name, which his govt restored again.Auraiya Medical College has been named after Mata Ahilyabai, he said mentioning that the same SP had changed the name of Sant Ravidas Nagar as Bhadohi and govt is restoring it.He said Atal Residential Schools have been built in 18 divisions of the state for the education of the children of construction workers, where arrangements have been made for studies with world-class infrastructure.He added that govt will work to build Chief Minister Composite Schools in all districts of the state in the name of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.Yogi also called upon the people to take the message of social harmony, equality and humanity of Sant Ravidas Ji to every person.Yogi flags off BJP’s kalash yatra for Dalit consolidationCM Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary flagged off vehicles of Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan — carrying 131 kalash (urns) filled with soil from Seer Gowardhanpur– to mark Guru Purnima on Wednesday.The rally marked the start of Dalit outreach programme ahead of the 2027 UP and Punjab elections.By Maghi Purnima on Feb 20, 2027, when the birth anniversary of 15th-century poet-saint Sant Ravidas will be celebrated, the campaign will cover over 20,000 kilometres.After the 131 urns were filled with sacred soil from Ravidas’ birthplace, they were taken to the main function venue near Ravidas temple on Wednesday. Separate galleries were set up at the venue for the Sant Samaj, representatives from 27 states, intellectuals and women.In the presence of senior BJP members, the urns were handed over to representatives of 27 states. The representatives took them to their states to share the resolve of harmony through local programmes and spread the wider message.The guests also participated in deepotsav at Ravidas Park and Ravidas Ghat.Union minister Arjun Meghwal, deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, national general secretary Tarun Chugh and BJP SC Morcha chief Lal Singh Arya paid obeisance at the Sant Ravidas Mandir, and flowers were offered at the bronze statue installed at the memorial site.The participants also sought the blessings of Dharm Sant Niranjan Das, chairperson of Shri Guru Ravidas Janamsthal Charitable Trust and head of All India Ravidassiya.
