United Kingdom: The United Kingdom Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunak has stated that he is looking forward to a “special” trip to New Delhi, which will be “India’s son-in-law’s” first visit to the country since entering Downing Street. The Prime Minister will land in the capital city ahead of this weekend’s G20 summit, marking the first time he has been to India since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Downing Street is hoping Mr. Sunak’s Indian heritage and the presence of his wife, Mr. Akshata Murty, the daughter of one of India’s richest men, will help guarantee a warm reception from locals when he arrives. The UK PM plans to use the trip to make headway on a trade deal with India as well as persuade other countries to work to remove Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian grain.
“It’s special. I’ll be visiting a country that is very near and dear to me. I haven’t been back for a few years,” Mr. Sunak told reporters. The Prime Minister used to take his family to India every February before he was appointed chancellor in 2020. “I saw somewhere that I was referred to as India’s son-in-law, which I hope was meant affectionately. But I’m excited to be back. It’s nice to have Akshata with me as well,” Mr. Sunak added.
G20 leaders will arrive in Delhi over the next 24 hours in preparation for the summit. The delegates include the US president Mr. Joe Biden as well as several European heads of state. Unlike most other world leaders, Mr. Sunak enjoys a special status in India as the grandson of Indian immigrants and a practicing Hindu. Mr. Sunak and Ms. Murty will visit the vast Akshardham Hindu temple in Delhi over the weekend.
In addition, Mr. Sunak and Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting during the weekend, at which the UK PM is expected to press for a trade deal before the end of the year.
MOST READ | Cancer cases in under-50s surge 80% in 3 decades: Study
