Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday offered prayers at the annual fair of Dera Baba Lal Badshah in Nakodar and asserted that his true assets were honesty and character.
“My assets are my honesty and character, with which I have earned people’s trust,” he said addressing a gathering there. The statement came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called state’s ruling AAP an “utterly dishonest” party.
The CM was accompanied by his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur.
The dera is headed by Padma Shri recipient, Sufi singer and former BJP MP Hans Raj Hans. A three-day annual fair began at the Nakodar dera on Saturday.
The visit comes two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Niranjan Dass at the Jalandhar Cantonment railway station while flagging off a train to Varanasi — the birth place of Guru Ravidas. While Dera Sachkhand Ballan commands a strong following among the Ravidasia community, the Nakodar dera enjoys considerable influence among members of the Valmiki community.
Addressing those present on the occasion, the CM took a swipe at leaders of Opposition parties. “While all other leaders are doing comedy, the one who used to do it has become the Chief Minister,” he said.
He also praised Hans Raj Hans, calling him his senior and “ustad” (teacher). “I have borne lathis when I was in college to watch him perform. I’ve also been a witness to his humility,” he added.
‘Registration for pilgrimage to new destinations from Aug’
Hoshiarpur: Meanwhile, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said the registration for the visit to new religious destinations under the state government's pilgrimage scheme would begin in August. He said the AAP government was preparing to send 1.5 lakh people on pilgrimage under the Teerath Yatra Scheme. He said this addressing a gathering during the “Ek Shaam, Shiv ke Naam” programme in Talwara. He said the scheme already provided free travel to The Golden Temple and Anandpur Sahib.
The new destinations added to it are Khatu Shyam, Haridwar-Rishikesh and Mathura-Vrindavan.