External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the occasion of Diwali and presented him a cricket bat with the autograph of cricketer Virat Kohli, a statement said on Monday.
Jaishankar and his wife visited the house of the British Prime Minister Sunday night. During the meeting, they expressed their best wishes to Indian communities across the globe as they celebrated the festival of lights, it said.
“The Indian minister presented to Sunak a cricket bat with the autograph of top Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli on it and a Lord Ganesh statue,” the statement said.
Jaishankar, who is currently on a five-day visit to the United Kingdom, prayed at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London. He also interacted with the Indian community there.
In a social media post, Jaishankar said he prayed for the peace, harmony, and prosperity of the Indian community around the world. He added that the Indian community’s contributions are raising the country’s profile around the world.
Meanwhile, Sunak greeted those celebrating Diwali in his country, as well as across the world, emphasising on being a “devout Hindu” and why the festival is a “guiding light” for him.
“As your first British Asian Prime Minister, and a devout Hindu, I also hope this can be a celebration of the fantastic ethnic and cultural diversity which makes the UK the place it is today,” he said in a statement.