Ahead of PM's visit, Sant Kabir Nagar turned into a fortress

| | Lucknow | in Lucknow

After reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s threat perception has multiplied, Maghar – a sedate town in Sant Kabir Nagar (UP) where 15th century poet Sant Kabir chose to die – has been turned into a fortress as the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a public rally on Thursday. The BJP has attached a hype to the rally by claiming that it would be attended by over 2 lakh people and that the rally would be used as a launching pad for the party’s campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP is eyeing the weavers’ community as through his address, the PM will try to woo the community and Vaishnava Nagas as Kabir is widely believed to be the disciple of Bhakti poet-sant Swami Ramananda of Varanasi. Vaishnava Nagas have a huge presence in Varanasi, Chandoli, Gorakhpur and Sant Kabir Nagar region. The PM seems to be focussing on ‘development for all’ which was reflected in his recent ‘Mann ki Baat’ where he invoked 15th century mystic poet and saint Kabir in his speech. The PM said that Kabir appealed to the people ‘to rise above divisions of religion and caste and make knowledge and wisdom the sole basis of recognition’.

Reverred equally by Hindus and Muslims alike, Maghar has a masusoleum and a samadhi sthal dedicated to the 15th century poet. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who himself is monitoring arrangements, rushed to Maghar on Wednesday to take stock of the preparation. Meanwhile on Wednesday, the state government approved a proposal for setting up a different council to run Kabir Academy at Maghar and announced to set up a Kabir Library. The government has already given Rs 2.5 core for the academy, whose foundation would be laid by the PM tomorrow. As per programme, Modi would reach Gorakhpur around 10 am on Thursday before flying to Maghar by an IAF chopper. There he will pay tributes to Kabir, both at his Samadhi Sthal and at Dargah and later address a public meeting. UP Tourism department has already initiated steps to promote Maghar as a tourism spot where Hindus have built a temple in memory of Kabir, while Muslims have constructed a mausoleum. Heavy polic vundobastis in place at Maghar with the SPG taking charge of the places where the PM is scheduled to visit. Due to his visit, the nearby Indo-Nepal border has been sealed. Officials said that around 5000 security personnel would be deployed  or the PM’s security including 10 companies of Central para-forces and PAC along with 10 SPs, 22 ASPs and 60 DSPs. Cops have also been deployed along the 30 -kilometre route from Gorakhpur to Maghar in case the chopper was not used to transport the PM from Gorakhpur to Maghar due to bad weather.