Jalandhar: The Punjab govt will hold a state-level function for the post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Caste students in Jalandhar on Friday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Feb 1 visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan on Guru Ravidas Jayanti — a move seen as a major step in BJP’s outreach towards Dalits. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann would be the chief guest, accompanied by finance minister Harpal Cheema and social justice minister Dr Baljit Kaur. Official sources claimed that the programme was chalked out days before the announcement of Prime Minister Modi’s visit. Opposition parties, including BJP, Congress and SAD, have been criticising the AAP govt over the management of the scheme. In a move aimed at blunting the criticism, the beneficiary students are expected to share their experiences at the function. PM’s visit to the most influential dera of the Ravidasia/Ad-dharmi community comes at a time when the BJP is making efforts at different levels to engage with the SC communities. The move has spurred a competitive response from other parties. Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring have already demanded that a national holiday be declared on Feb 1, which happens to be a Sunday. On Wednesday, CM Mann called for the Adampur airport to be renamed after Guru Ravidas, a demand echoed by the Congress. The PM may make an official announcement regarding the renaming during his visit.
