UK PM Rishi Sunak says he's eager to visit 'mandir' in Delhi, calls himself 'proud Hindu'

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is in Delhi for the G20 Summit, said that he hopes to visit a 'mandir' (Hindu temple) while he is in the national capital. He said that he is ‘proud’ to be a Hindu and that his faith is ‘very important’ to him.

"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,” he told ANI.

Speaking about Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami, Sunak added: “We just had Raksha Bandhan, so from my sister and my cousins, I have all my rakhis, and I didn't have time to celebrate Janmashtami properly the other day. But hopefully, I can make up for that if we visit a mandir this time.”

“I think faith is something that helps everybody who has faith in their lives, particularly when you have these stressful jobs like I do. Having faith to give you resilience, to give you strength, is important,” Rishi Sunak further added.

Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty landed at New Delhi's Palam Airport on Friday. They were greeted by the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, with a "Jai Siya Ram".

Ashwini Kumar Choubey also gave Rudraksh, a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, and the Hanuman Chalisa to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife.

During his three-day tour to India, Rishi Sunak will also meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bilateral meeting.

Also Watch: Centre spends over Rs 4,100 crore to organise G20 Summit 2023; Here is a detailed break-up of expenses

Choubey informed Sunak that he is an MP from Buxar which, he noted, is an ancient town of religious significance and is believed to be the place where Lord Ram and his brother Lakshman had studied under the tutelage of Vishwamitra, the minister's office said in a statement.

The British prime minister, who is of Indian origin, has often emphasised his Hindu roots and said he is proud of it.

Sunak also interacted with young students at the British Council in Delhi. Describing the students as the "world leaders of tomorrow," Sunak conveyed his optimism about the global future.

"Before meeting the world leaders of today I’ve been meeting with the world leaders of tomorrow. It’s been fantastic to visit students and staff here at @inBritish- a reflection of the living bridge that exists between the UK and India," Sunak posted on X along with photos of his delightful experience with the students.

Rishi Sunak, while talking to the media about the Khalistan issue, made it clear that Khalistani extremism would not be tolerated on the United Kingdom's soil.

"Let me just say unequivocally that no form of extremism or violence like that is acceptable in the UK," he said. Sunak added that the UK is working with the Indian government to tackle PKE (pro-Khalistani extremism).

Also Read: US President Joe Biden arrives in New Delhi for G20 Summit, bilateral meet with PM Modi