By Imran MullaandPeter Oborne
At first glance, there was nothing unusual about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attendance at a religious ceremony in Cambridge late last summer.
Nearly every prime minister attends cultural events celebrating the country’s diverse faiths, nationalities and traditions.
But on this hot 15 August afternoon, something seemed awry.
The event, held in a jam-packed tent at Cambridge University, wasn’t advertised as featuring Sunak, nor was it promoted by the prime minister’s social media accounts, 10 Downing Street or the ruling Conservative Party.
It was India’s Independence Day and Sunak kicked off his surprise visit at Cambridge’s Jesus College by taking to the mic and bowing towards presiding preacher Morari Bapu.
The British prime minister’s connections with Hindu nationalists are unsurprising given his own family’s experiences with Hindutva groups
At first glance, there was nothing unusual about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attendance at a religious ceremony in Cambridge late last summer.
Nearly every prime minister attends cultural events celebrating the country’s diverse faiths, nationalities and traditions.
But on this hot 15 August afternoon, something seemed awry.
The event, held in a jam-packed tent at Cambridge University, wasn’t advertised as featuring Sunak, nor was it promoted by the prime minister’s social media accounts, 10 Downing Street or the ruling Conservative Party.
It was India’s Independence Day and Sunak kicked off his surprise visit at Cambridge’s Jesus College by taking to the mic and bowing towards presiding preacher Morari Bapu.
“Bapu, I am here today not as a prime minister but as a Hindu,” Sunak said as he clasped his hands together as part of the traditional namaskar greeting.
“For me, faith is very personal, it guides me in every aspect of my life,” he said, triggering a round of applause from the crowd.
‘Links between Rishi Sunak and far-right, rabidly Islamophobic Hindu supremacists are deeply concerning’
– South Asia Solidarity Group
This story was originally published in middleeasteye.net. Read the full story here.
