Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday paid respects to Dalit icon Guru Ravidas in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. The 15th century poet-saint was born near the temple town.
In a video shared by the party on its Twitter handle, the Gandhis were seen offering food to people at a langar (community meal) at a Varanasi temple.
In the 36-second clip, Rahul Gandhi, the ex-Congress chief, is seen offering food to devotees sitting in a queue. He is followed by his sister who is seen greeting locals as she ladles out another dish from a bucket – a common sight at community meals.
Guru Ravidas Jayanti is being celebrated in several parts of the country, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh that are voting in this season of state elections. The elections in Punjab were rescheduled from February 14 to February 20 (Sunday) last month by the Election Commission in view of the Ravidas Jayanti.
While Dalits constitute 30 per cent of population in Punjab, about 20 per cent of the UP’s population belongs to the community.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has been campaigning as the BJP fights for a second straight term, also paid respects to the icon on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen taking part in a ‘kirtan’ (where hymns were sung in praise of Guru Ravidas) at a temple in Delhi. “Very special moments at the Shri Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham Mandir in Delhi,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
