India, Jan. 27 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Dera Sachkhand at Ballan near Jalandhar on February 1, on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti, marking yet another outreach to the Dalit community, particularly in Punjab where elections are due in about year.

The visit, confirmed by senior BJP leaders Vijay Sampla and Manoranjan Kalia, will have come just days after the dera's head, Niranjan Dass, was chosen for the Pama Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.

In December, accompanied by senior leaders of the party, dera head Niranjan Dass met PM Modi to extend an invitation for the celebrations to mark Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass on February 1, besides requesting him for countrywide celebrations to mark the 650th birth anni...