JALANDHAR: In a major departure from past of staying at a government accommodation a night before the Republic Day, in the poll season Punjab chief minister
Charanjit Singh Channi stayed at
Dera Sachkhand Ballan
at night and slept on the ground in dera head
Sant Niranjan Das
’s personal room.
In the morning he unfurled
National Flag
at
Guru Gobind Singh Stadium
in Jalandhar.
CM’s gesture comes with a lot of political messaging to Ad-dharmi/Ravidasia community as Dera Ballan is considered the most influential dera of the community and their maximum population is in Doaba region.
Channi also made it a point to mention this fact of his night stay in Dera head’s room at a meeting of Congress workers in Phagwara where he addressed a workers' meeting with sitting MLA and Congress candidate Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal.
"I received calls from a couple of officers who advised me against staying at the dera but I said if I would be booked for staying at the dera then let it be but I shall stay here only. I slept on the floor in Baba Ji’s (dera head’s) room and listened to his sermons which were much soothing for the mind," he said.
After becoming Punjab CM, Channi, who comes from same caste background, visited the Dera a few times. During his visit on December 31, he announced to establish Guru Ravidas Bani Adhiyan (Research) Centre at Ballan with a cost of Rs 50 crore, while handing over a cheque worth Rs 25 crore. He also announced formation of Guru Ravidas Bani Adhiyan Kendra Prabandhak committee to be headed by Sant Niranjan Dass to manage overall affairs of this Centre while the CM, Secretary Tourism and local Deputy Commissioner would be the government’s representatives in the committee.
In his address at Phagwara, where Bahujan Samaj Party state president Jasbir Singh Garhi himself is candidate from SAD-BSP alliance, CM Channi launched a scathing attack at BSP leadership and even accused them of selling the party to Shiromani Akali Dal.
"Kanshi Ram founded the party with a great vision but BSP leaders did not follow his footsteps. They claim to represent 35% population of Scheduled Castes but when they had alliance with SAD they took just 18% seats and even at those 13 seats have been taken from Akali Dal. They have sold the party to Akali Dal and it has no relevance now. They took money to give tickets," Channi
"In my constituency Chamkaur Sahib, BSP got the seat or it was given to them by Akali Dal as they were clear that they would lose. There also BSP has fielded an Akali leader. They have got very weak seats in urban areas like Hoshiarpur and Pathankot where BSP is very weak and there is no question of winning. People should not spoil their votes by giving them to BSP," he said.
CM Channi also claimed that real agreement is between SAD and BJP and now BSP cadres on ground were understanding the real game. He later addressed a meeting in Phillaur constituency also.