Ballan dera chief hospitalised, misses train ahead of Guru Ravidas Jayanti

Jalandhar, February 21

Hundreds of devotees left for Varanasi ahead of Guru Ravidas Jayanti in a special train this afternoon.

Chief of Dera Sachkhand Ballan Sant Niranjan Dass was to embark on the journey to reach Sri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir, Seer Govardhanpur, but his health deteriorated at the railway station and he had to be shifted to a private hospital here.

The dera chief had just boarded the train when he reportedly felt uneasy. A doctor, who examined him, said he was running high fever and recommended that he should not travel in such a condition. But Sant Niranjan Dass was adamant on going for the religious event.

He was immediately brought down and made to take some rest in a waiting room but that also did not help. Under a tight security cover, the dera chief was made to sit in a wheelchair and taken out of the congested platform area and rushed to a hospital.

Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal, Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh, Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, BSP leader Avtar Singh Karimpuri and several other leaders, who had come to attend the flagging off ceremony of the train, immediately rushed to the hospital with him.

The dera chief underwent a complete examination and was found to be running high fever and high blood sugar. He remained admitted to the hospital where his health was being closely monitored.