Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to an island for two days of meditation as India's election winds down.
The massive Indian election process, considered the world's largest, spanning six weeks, will conclude on Saturday with the final day of voting. The outcome will be revealed three days later.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to pay a visit to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, a renowned pilgrimage site in India's southernmost region, from May 30 to June 1, as per Indian state broadcaster DD News. This pilgrimage spot is significant as esteemed Hindu monk and philosopher Swami Vivekananda is believed to have attained enlightenment there.
Modi has ended his previous election campaigns with meditation. However, in recent times, he has been displaying increased signs of piety in an attempt to cash in on his Hindu-nationalist ideology while aiming for a third five-year term in office.
During a recent interview with NDTV, Modi shared his beliefs, saying, "I'm convinced that God has sent me for a purpose, and when that purpose is done, my work will be complete." He further added, "God doesn't disclose his plans. He just makes me do things."
India is governed by secularism, but under Modi and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) who have been in power since 2014, a hardline form of Hindu nationalism has been promoted, widening religious rift lines.
When Modi first participated in national elections ten years ago, he chose Varanasi in India's spiritually significant city as his constituency. This allowed him to merge his spiritual and political goals.
At the conclusion of his first campaign, Modi journeyed to Pratapgad in the western state of Maharashtra, a historically prominent site where the Hindu-dominated Maratha forces defeated the Mughal army in the 17th century.
In the 2019 national elections that Modi also won, he spent time meditating in the acclaimed Kedarnath hallowed site dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, located high in the Himalayan mountains.
In January, before the campaign season began, Modi undertook the sacred Hindu temple dedication of the contested Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. This temple was built at the location of a demolished mosque. Assuming the priest's duties is generally not in Modi's character, but critics argue that his flaunting of Hinduism has fostered growing Islamophobia and persecution against India's 200 million Muslims.
Moreover, Modi and the BJP have increasingly relied on derogatory language towards Islam during their recent election speeches. In an incendiary speech last month, Modi said that if the opposition prevails, they would distribute the country's resources among "infiltrators" and "those who have more offspring," referring to the Muslim community
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Despite wrapping up the monumental Indian election on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stays connected to his faith, planning to visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in India, a site of significant spiritual significance in the world. Moderating religious tensions has been a central aspect of Modi's governance, with his party, the BJP, promoting a hardline form of Hindu nationalism in India since 2014.
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