Cong V-P Rahul Gandhi at Radha Soami dera in Beas for night stay

Rahul’s visit was so secretive that even the district administration and top police officials had no information. It is significant since the dera has followers not just in Punjab but several parts of the country. With Punjab going to polls in less than a year’s time, a lot of politicians from different parties are making visits to deras.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday went to the headquarters of Radha Soami Dera at Beas, about 35 kilometres from here.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at a function in Amritsar on Friday evening, after which he headed to Dera Radha Soami at Beas. (HT Photo)

Around 5pm, he left Amritsar, and in about an hour, he reached the dera; where he will stay overnight. Since the state elections are due in less than a year, the leaders of all parties are making rounds of the popular deras of Punjab.

Even the district administration and top police officers were caught off guard. Police had to make sudden arrangements when Rahul entered the jurisdiction of Beas by road. “We had no information until the last moment,” said a top official of the administration, who has confirmed that sect head Gurinder Singh Dhillon was at the dera when Rahul arrived without the company of a senior leader.

A few months ago, Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh had also visited the dera. In 2014, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader LK Advani had stayed here for the night. A few days ago, even Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal had visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a sect of the Ravidassia Dalits near Jalandhar.