Security tightened outside Akshardham temple ahead of UK PM Sunak visit

New Delhi: Ahead of United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's visit to Delhi's Akshardham temple on Sunday, security has been tightened outside the temple.

Uk PM, who is in India for the G20 Summit, is scheduled to visit Delhi's Akshardham temple on Sunday.
An official from the temple Jyotindra Dave said, "We have done all preparations...We have got to know from the Britain High Commission that the UK Prime Minister will be visiting here. We have requested to welcome him and his spouse at the main entrance 'Mayur Dwar'...'

While talking with ANI, the UK PM said that he will visit Delhi's Akshardham temple tomorrow.

Expressing pride for his ‘Hindu’ roots, Rishi Sunak yesterday expressed his hope that he will find time to visit a temple, here in India, during his stay for the G20 Summit.

Sunak said that he has “enormous respect” for PM Modi and said that he is keen to support him in making G20 an enormous success.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Rishi Sunak said, “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.”

“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.

He further said that faith is something very important as it gives strength and resilience during stress.

Earlier today, PM Sunak held a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit being held in the national capital under India's presidency. The meeting between the two leaders was held at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the venue of the Summit.

Talks between the two leaders followed their meeting held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May this year in which they had discussed the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, and science along with ways to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.The two countries are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, talks for which had begun in 2022. The 12th round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from August 8 to 31 this year.In August this year, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK’s Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch took stock of the FTA and agreed on ways to progress the negotiations. The 13th round of negotiations is due to take place in September.

Earlier today, PM Modi and Rishi Sunak participated in Session 1 on 'One Earth' during the G20 Summit. Sunak said that the world is looking to G20 to provide leadership and that the leaders are meeting at a time of enormous challenges. He expressed confidence that the leaders will together be able to address the challenges.

Rishi Sunak and PM Modi warmly greeted each other with Namaste and shook hands. They two leaders also hugged each other as they posed for cameras.

Sunak, accompanied by wife Akshata Murty had arrived in Delhi on Friday. This is Rishi Sunak's first visit to India as Prime Minister since he assumed the office of Prime Minister of UK in October last year.

India and the UK are bound by strong ties of history and culture, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. India’s multifaceted bilateral relationship with the UK intensified with its upgradation to a Strategic Partnership in 2004. (ANI)