WITH campaigning for the seventh and final phase of India's 2024 general elections coming to an end on Thursday (30), prime minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of mainland India in the state of Tamil Nadu, to embark on a 45-hour meditation trip till June 1.
The leader chose Vivekananda Rock Memorial, where famous Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda had meditated once, as the venue this time.
Modi's spiritual sojourn comes days before the announcement of the results of the elections on June 4.
He had made a similar trip to the Hindu shrine of Kedarnath in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand during the previous general elections of 2019 and meditated at a cave before the final phase of the polls.
Upon reaching Kaniyakumari, which is located at the tip of the Indian peninsula where three sea bodies -- Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea converge -- Modi first offered prayers at the Bhagavathy Amman Temple. His meditation was set to begin from Thursday evening to the evening of Saturday (1) at Dhyan Mandapam, the place where Swami Vivekananda is believed to have had a divine vision about 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India).
Saturday will also see India going to its final phase of the marathon election which kicked off on April 19.
Modi is seeking this third successive term in office, something which India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru has accomplished till date in the country's 77-year independence.
Security was beefed up ahead of the PM's visit with 2,000 police personnel deployed at the area. The Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy would also maintain a tight vigil during Modi's meditation.
The beach area (Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a mid-sea point and is a popular tourism destination) where Modi is will also be out of bounds for tourists from Thursday to Saturday and private boats will not be allowed to ferry, Press Trust of India reported.
The opposition parties have criticised the meditation plan saying it was a breach of the model code of conduct which is in force till the election gets over. Among the parties that opposed Modi's schedule and also approached the Election Commission are the Indian National Congress and its election ally in Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is also the southern state's ruling party.
The opposition have urged the commission to ensure that Modi's meditation trip to Kaniyakumar is not aired by the media.
According to the opponent parties, the Indian PM's act will break the 48-hour 'silence period' between the final phase of the general election on June 1. Campaigning for elections in India concludes 48 hours ahead of the day of the election.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, after a meeting between his party's delegation with commission officials, said, “…You are either campaigning this way or publicising yourself through new channels and print media,” the Hindustan Times reported.
Fifty-seven seats in seven states and Union Territories of India will go to polls in the final phase of the election.
Since the announcement of the general election schedule on March 16, Modi has taken part in 206 public outreach programmes, including rallies and roadshows, PTI reported. During the 2019 polls, he had attended around 145 public rallies.
(With PTI inputs)
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