NEW DELHI: Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has said that he recites one shloka of Bhagvada Gita for internal peace everyday as he declared Krishan Balram Rath Yatra as a state festival in the state.
Channi’s move, as it comes before the state elections, is seen as an outreach towards the minority Hindu population in the state.
“Chief Minister @CharanjitChanni declares Shri Krishan Balram Rath Yatra as ‘State Festival’. CM announces ₹2.51 crore for ISKCON temple Ludhiana. CM says, “For internal peace, I have been reciting one Shloka of Bhagvada Gita daily since last 25 years,” the official Twitter handle of the chief minister’s office tweeted on Sunday.

Earlier the Congress government in Punjab has announced that it will set up a research centre in Patiala that would look into the treasure of knowledge and wisdom that Ramayana, Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagwad Gita have within them.
“Religious texts are the biggest source of inspiration which guide us towards betterment of our lives. To further nurture our knowledge through the wisdoms in the epic texts of Ramayana, Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagwat Geeta, an exclusive research centre would be set up in Patiala,” the chief minister had said in a tweet.

The outreach also comes at a time when former chief minister Amarinder Singh has left Congress after a bitter power tussle in the state where the party high command was seen throwing its weight behind state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Amarinder Singh has formed his own party, the Punjab Lok Congress, and plans to contest the assembly polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
It is believed that the Congress is concerned that sections of the Hindu population which had supported it in the past could be weaned away by Amarinder Singh and the BJP.
Apart from its own former leader, the ruling Congress also has to contend with a stiff challenge from Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) along with tradtional rivals the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Earlier, Channi had also made several announcements for the Hindu community at an event in Phagwara.