Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday paid tributes to Sant Ravidas on his birth anniversary and said it is important to be cautious about those who bow before him for "political gains". In a post on 'X' in Hindi, Mayawati said his message was of dedication to humanity and public service through 'karm'.
Ravidas' message has been forgotten, she said, adding that it was not for narrow political and electoral interests but for humanity and public service. "As a result of this, the life of the Bahujans here is full of problems," the BSP chief said, adding, "It is important to be cautious of those who bow before him for political gains."
In a statement later, Mayawati said, "Those who ignored Santguru (Ravidas) and his teachings for narrow vested interests are now bowing their heads before him. Although by following his teachings, the government can ensure the welfare of the poor and crores of his followers, it is not doing so."
"In honour of Sant Guru Ravidas and to keep his memories alive, the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh had undertaken several works. These included the creation of the new Sant Ravidas Nagar district while keeping the status of Bhadohi as the district headquarters intact," it said. The BSP alleged that the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government in the state changed the name of the district owing to casteism and political grudges.
"But the current BJP government also did not restore the name (Sant Ravidas Nagar) which proves that the thought processes of both the parties are the same," Mayawati said in the statement. The BSP chief's statement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the opposition INDIA bloc, saying its members believe in instigating people in the name of caste and making them fight.
Speaking at a function in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi to commemorate the 647th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas, Modi said, "In every era, the sermons of the saints show us the path and also alert us. In our country, whenever anybody indulges in discrimination in the name of caste, it damages humanity."
"Ravidas ji has been calling me repeatedly to his birthplace. I got an opportunity to take forward his pledge. I got an opportunity to serve his lakhs of followers. Serving his followers at the birthplace of the Guru is nothing less than a privilege for me," he said. Born in Varanasi, Ravidas was a mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement in the 15th and 16th centuries. Venerated as a spiritual teacher in several regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, he was a poet, social reformer and spiritual figure.
