The
british prime minister, Rishi Sunak, shared details about his Hindu
religion with his
wife Akshata Murty during a visit to a
london temple on Saturday. He described his faith as a source of "inspiration and comfort".
With only a few days till the crucial UK elections, Sunak spoke to devotees during his visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. He discussed the
idea of
dharma as a compass for his approach to public service.
I'm a Hindu now. Like all of you, my faith provides me both solace and motivation. Sunak declared, "I was honoured to take the oath of
office 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," the self-described "proud Hindu" said. My kind and caring
parents raised me to
believe that, and I make it my goal to live my life in that manner. And when my daughters become older, I want to instill it in them.
dharma is the light that directs my approach to public service."
A priest had said that he had "raised the bar" for youngsters in the Hindu community, saying that it was "no longer enough to become just a doctor, a lawyer, or an accountant." The UK
prime minister also shared some humorous moments with the assembly.
"My
parents would probably tell you that they would have preferred it if I had become a doctor, lawyer, or accountant if they were here," said Sunak, evoking chuckles from the assembly.