CM Parkash Singh Badal flags off Bhagwan Valmiki yatra

With an aim to woo the Dalits who comprise almost one-third of state’s population, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday flagged off the weeklong Bhagwan Valmiki Ji Darshan Yatra that will cross through many districts of the state before culminating in Amritsar on December 1.

Devotees participating the procession of the Bhagwan Valmiki Ji Darshan Yatra at Shambhu sari in Patiala District on Sunday. (Bharat Bhushan/Hindustan Times)

Known for playing religious cards to reap political benefits, Badal said the yatra was symbolic of age-old legacy of propagating love, universal brotherhood, harmony and compassion.

The procession carries a 800kg gold-plated idol of Lord Valmiki that will be installed at Ram Tirth in Amritsar, which has been renovated by the government using Rs 100 crore.

The CM, along with cabinet colleagues, eminent religious and spiritual leaders, besides members of the SGPC, paid obeisance to Lord Valmiki.