- By Mayukh Debnath
- Sat, 09 Sep 2023 05:59 PM (IST)
- Source:ANI
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is in India for the G20 Leaders' Summit that is underway in New Delhi. Sunak, who is the first British PM of Indian origin, plans to visit the Akshardham Temple in the national capital on Sunday. The UK PM is known for an unapologetic display of his Hindu identity in public life.
G-20 in India: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to visit Delhi's Akshardham temple on Sunday, September 10.
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2023
(file pic) pic.twitter.com/jZeW4asH9f
"I am a proud Hindu. That’s how I was raised, that’s how I am. Hopefully, I can visit the Mandir while I am here for the next couple of days. We just had Rakshabandhan, so from my sister and my cousin, I have all my Rakhis," Sunak was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Friday.
#WATCH | G-20 in India: On his connect with Hinduism, UK PM Rishi Sunak to ANI says, "I'm a proud Hindu, and that's how I was raised. That's how I am. Hopefully, I can visit a Mandir while I'm here for the next couple of days. We just had Raksha Bandhan, so from my sister and my… pic.twitter.com/U5RLdZX3vz
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
"I didn’t have time to celebrate Janmashtami. But hopefully, as I said I can make up for that if we visit a Mandir this time," he added.
Upon his arrival in Delhi for the two-day annual summit of the G20, he was greeted by Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey with "Jai Siya Ram". Last month, Sunak attended the Ramayana recitation by spiritual leader Morari Bapu at Cambridge University and said that he was present there as a Hindu and not as a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Starting his address with a chant of "Jai Siya Ram", PM Sunak said that it was an honour for him to be present at Morari Bapu's Ram Katha on Indian Independence Day at the University of Cambridge. "I'm here today not as a Prime Minister but as a Hindu. For me, faith is very personal. It guides me in every aspect of my life," he had stated.
The UK PM also credited his faith in Lord Rama for the strength to face the challenges in his life. "For me, Lord Rama will always be an inspirational figure, to face life's challenges with courage, to govern with humility, and to work selflessly," he added.
(With inputs from ANI)