Declare Guru Ravidas Jayanti as national holiday: Punjab Congress chief Warring

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 29 (ANI): Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday demanded that Guru Ravidas Jayanti be declared a national holiday, on the lines of birth anniversaries of other Gurus and prophets.
Warring said he intended to raise the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, but could not do so as the House was adjourned before the matter could be taken up.
Talking to reporters later, the PCC president said it has been a long-pending demand of the followers of Guru Ravidas that his birth anniversary should be declared a national holiday. He pointed out that there are lakhs and crores of devotees who worship Guru Ravidas with divine reverence.
The Congress leader said birth anniversaries of other Gurus and prophets are already observed as national holidays, and the same status should be accorded to Guru Ravidas Jayanti as well.
Warring said that coming from Punjab, which has a large population of followers of Guru Ravidas, he has been pursuing the issue on multiple platforms. He reiterated that he wanted to raise the matter in Parliament but was unable to do so due to the adjournment of the House.
He further said that Guru Ravidas preached the message of peace, harmony and universal brotherhood, not for any particular sect but for the entire humanity. "Guru Ravidas is an apostle of the entire mankind," Warring said.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned on Thursday afternoon and will again meet on February 1 at 11:00 am. Finance Minister Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey of India in Parliament today for the 2025-26 financial year, setting the stage for the Union Budget, which will be presented on Sunday, February 1.
This year, the Budget presentation falls on a weekend. FM Sitharaman is set to present a record ninth consecutive Union Budget on February 1, marking a significant milestone in India's parliamentary and economic history.
The tabling of the Economic Survey ahead of the Budget follows the long-standing tradition of outlining the state of the economy before detailing future fiscal plans.
The Economic Survey of India is regarded as the nation's official annual "report card" on the economy. It provides a comprehensive, data-backed review of the economy's performance over the previous year and offers a broad roadmap for future policy direction. As the government's flagship annual report, it reviews key economic developments over the past 12 months. (ANI)