My Source of Inspiration & Comfort: What Rishi Sunak Said on his Hindu Faith At London Temple

London: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday opened up about the Hindu faith and called it his source of inspiration and comfort during a visit to the London temple with his wife Akshata Murty. 

During a brief visit to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London ahead of the high-octane UK elections, Sunak interacted with worshippers and emphasised the concept of Dharma as a guiding principle in his approach to public service.

"Now, I am a Hindu. And like all of you, I draw inspiration and comfort from my faith. I was proud to be sworn in as a member of parliament on the Bhagavad Gita,” Sunak said.

The UK Prime Minister further shared the teachings of Hindu Dharma following which he was brought up.  

"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 try and 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."

Sunak engaged in joyful moments with the gathering after a priest remarked upon how he had raised the bar for children in the Hindu community as it was "no longer enough to become just a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant".

Drawing laughter from the crowd, Sunak said, “If my parents were here and you asked them, they would probably tell you that they would have preferred it if I had become a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant.” 

The conversation also spanned to T20 World Cup where India clinched the title by defeating South Africa. "Everyone happy about the cricket?” he asked, and the crowd responded with cheers and applause.

Sunak's visit to the London temple came after he expressed his ‘hurt and anger’ over a racial slur used by a supporter of Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party as campaigning for the general election reaches the final lane.