Modi to undertake 45-hour meditation
International Desk
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day meditation at the famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial in mid-sea in Kanyakumari on Thursday evening after weeks of high-decibel campaign in parliamentary elections in which he seeks a rare third consecutive term.
Modi’s 45-hour meditation will start two days ahead of voting in the last lap of India’s Lok Sabha elections on 1 June.
Modi will meditate from this evening to the evening of 1 June at Dhyan Mandapam, the place where Swami Vivekananda, a spiritual icon admired by the prime minister, is believed to have had a divine vision about “Bharat Mata,” BJP leaders said.
Modi had undertaken a similar exercise in a Kedarnath cave after the 2019 national election campaign when his party had come out triumphant with a bigger majority on its own than in 2014 when he became the prime minister for the first time.
Nearly 2,000 police personnel will stand guard during Modi’s stay in Kanyakumari. The Indian Coast Guard and the Navy would also maintain vigil. T
However, Modi’s meditation has drawn criticism from the opposition Congress which alleged on Wednesday that he was trying to "circumvent" the silence period restrictions in the run up to the seventh and final phase of polling on 1 June with his trip to Kanyakumari and urged the Election Commission to ensure it is not telecast by the media as it “violates” the model code of conduct.
