Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Modi holds two-day meditation ahead of election results

Images showed Modi sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and one arm clasping prayer beads

Modi holds two-day meditation ahead of election results

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi was meditating on a rocky outcrop off India's coast on Friday (31) in a final appeal to his Hindu voter base as marathon national elections drew to a close.

Modi remains roundly popular and is widely expected to win a third term when the poll concludes, in large part due to his cultivated image as an aggressive champion of the country's majority faith.


Modi's decade in power has seen the leader engage in regular meditations, fasts and temple visits to burnish his religious credentials, despite India's secular constitution.

The 73-year-old arrived late Thursday (30) at a monument to Swami Vivekananda, a renowned 19th-century Hindu monk and philosopher, for his latest ritual.

Images published by Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) showed the premier sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and one arm clasping prayer beads.

Local media reports said around 2,000 police and security personnel were guarding the site in the southern state of Tamil Nadu for the two-day meditation, which concludes Saturday on the final day of general election voting.

Modi underwent a similar retreat immediately before his last election victory in 2019, when he spent days meditating inside a cave in the Himalayan foothills.

This year he presided over the inauguration of a grand temple to the deity Ram, built on the grounds of a centuries-old mosque in Ayodhya razed by Hindu zealots in 1992.

Construction of the temple fulfilled a longstanding demand of Hindu activists and was widely celebrated across the country with back-to-back television coverage and street parties.

The BJP and Modi are widely expected to win this year's election, which is conducted over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging the democratic exercise in the world's most populous country.

The ascent of Modi's Hindu-nationalist politics has made India's Muslims increasingly anxious.

Modi has made a number of strident comments against India's 200-million-plus Muslim minority since voting began last month, in an apparent effort to galvanise support.

He has used public speeches to refer to Muslims as "infiltrators" and "those who have more children", prompting condemnation from opposition politicians.

(AFP)

More For You

Crocodile Burt

Captured in the 1980s, Burt starred in Crocodile Dundee alongside Paul Hogan, helping to showcase Australia’s wildlife to the world. (Photo credit: Paramount)

Iconic crocodile Burt, star of Crocodile Dundee, dies

THE CROCODILE Burt, who gained fame for his role in the 1986 hit film Crocodile Dundee, has died peacefully, according to Crocosaurus Cove, where he had been living since 2008.

Burt was estimated to be over 90 years old, far exceeding the average life expectancy of a saltwater crocodile, which is around 70 years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Court-representational

The claims were brought by five former disciples but were rejected in their entirety by Justice Martin Spencer. (Representational image: iStock)

Court dismisses sexual abuse allegations against Coventry priest

The High Court in London has dismissed allegations of sexual and financial abuse against Rajinder Kalia, the priest of Baba Balak Nath Temple in Coventry.

The claims were brought by five former disciples but were rejected in their entirety by Justice Martin Spencer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mohammad-Yunus-Getty

Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh. (Photo: Getty Images)

Bangladesh panel links India to enforced disappearances

A BANGLADESH inquiry commission has alleged India's "involvement" in incidents of "enforced disappearances" during the tenure of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, according to state-run news agency BSS.

The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha cited the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance, which stated, "The Indian involvement in Bangladesh's system of enforced disappearances is a matter of public record."

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Modi-Getty
Starmer during a bilateral meeting with Modi as he attends the G20 summit on November 18, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: Getty Images)

2024 in review: Strengthening India-UK ties amid leadership changes

THE YEAR 2024 brought significant political and economic developments for India and the United Kingdom, shaping the trajectory of their bilateral relations.

A key highlight was the decision to relaunch negotiations for a "mutually beneficial" Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a move that underscores the growing importance of trade between the two nations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer nominates Raval,  Debbonnaire for peerage

Krish Raval

Starmer nominates Raval,  Debbonnaire for peerage

RIME MINISTER Keir Starmer has nominated British Indian professional Krish Raval and British Sri Lankan politician Thangam Debbonnaire for peerage as his government unveiled the latest picks for parliament's unelected upper chamber. The Liberal Democrats have British Pakistani councillor Shaffaq Mohammed on their list. According to reports, former prime minister Rishi Sunak's nominations for the House of Lords are expected at a later date.

The Labour leader also appointed his controversial ex-chief of staff Sue Gray to the House of Lords. Gray, who quit as Starmer's top Downing Street staffer in October amid reported internal tensions, became something of a household name in Britain after leading the probe into the so-called Partygate scandal.

Keep ReadingShow less