Sunak and wife sought divine blessings on last weekend ahead of the July 4 general election at the iconic BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in London
London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty sought divine blessings on the last weekend ahead of the July 4 general election at the iconic BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in London, popularly known as Neasden Temple.
The couple were greeted with loud cheers as their convoy drove into the grand temple grounds on Saturday evening and went on to perform puja guided by the priests. After a tour of the grand temple complex and interaction with volunteers and senior community leaders, cricket fan Sunak began his address to the congregation with a reference to India’s victory in the T20 World Cup before speaking about the inspiration he draws from his faith.
“I am Hindu and like all of you, I draw inspiration and comfort from my faith,” said Sunak.
“I was proud to be sworn in as a member of parliament on the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. Our faith teaches us to do our duty and not fret about the outcome as long as one does it faithfully. That is what I was brought up to believe by my wonderful and loving parents and that is how I live my life; and that is what I want to pass on to my daughters as they grow up. It is dharma which guides me in my approach to public service,” he said.
Sunak went on to reference his general practitioner (GP) father and pharmacist mother’s community service and also the “wonderful work” his philanthropist mother-in-law, Sudha Murty, does in India.
