On Ravidas Jayanti, Mayawati accuses BJP, Cong of 'neglecting' Dalit, Adivasi saints

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 27 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress of 'always neglecting saints and great men born in Dalit, Adivasi and OBC sections of the society'.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister took to Twitter to pay tributes to saint-poet Ravidas on his birth anniversary.
"On the birth anniversary of the great saint Guru Ravidas ji, who gave the immortal message of 'mann changa to kathauti mein Ganga', best wishes to the millions of followers in the country and world. Satguru spent his entire life in an attempt to turn man into a human being," the BSP chief tweeted.
"Congress and BJP, had always neglected saints and great men born in Dalit, Adivasi and OBC sections of the society and instead of giving them respect, they had shown contempt for such great men," she said.
Recalling the works done in honour of Ravidas during her government's tenure, she said that her government had named Bhadohi district after him but it was changed by the previous Samajwadi Party government due to "casteist mentality".
"Under the BSP government formed in the state four times, a lot of effort was made to realise the dreams of Santguru Ravidasji, and the work done in public interest and public welfare in his honour is not hidden from anyone. It will be appropriate if the central and state governments do good for the society and country by following the path shown by him," she added.
Mayawati promised that once her party comes to power, Bhadohi will be renamed as Sant Ravidas Nagar.
Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He is considered the founder of the 21st-century Ravidassia religion.

Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar. (ANI)