Rishi Sunak’s appointment as the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the UK has created echoes across the globe. His appointment is a flashpoint for his Indian roots and congratulatory messages poured in from the leaders of all major democracies, including India.
Rishi Sunak took over as the United Kingdom’s first Indian-origin and Hindu Prime Minister and he also takes one more esteemed title of the nation’s first British Asian leader.
However, soon after Rishi Sunak was announced as UK PM on the day of Diwali, his ancestral root was up for debate. Several Pakistani nationals took to social media platforms to lay claim to Rishi Sunak’s ancestry. A tug of war has begun between the people from India and Pakistan over his ancestral roots.
A series of posts surfaced on social which claimed that Sunak is a ‘Pakistani’.
Another Twitter post said Pakistan celebrate Sunak’s victory as his paternal grandparents were from Gujranwala.
While on the other hand, Indians took on Twitter claiming the Leader to be ‘Desi Raj‘.
Sunak’s grandparents’ origin
The buzz around Sunak’s origin erupted over the birthplace of his grandparents. Reportedly, Sunak’s grandparents were born in Gujranwala, which is now situated in Pakistan. Known for its good food and culture of wrestling, Gujranwala is located around 1.5 hours away from Punjab province’s provincial capital Lahore.
Born in Punjab Province during British India, Sunak’s paternal grandfather Ramdas Sunak left Gujranwala to work as a clerk in Nairobi, Kenya in 1935. Sunak’s paternal grandmother, Suhag Rani Sunak first moved to Delhi from Gujranwala, along with her mother-in-law, and then went to Kenya in 1937. Ramdas and Suhag Rani had six children—three sons and three daughters.
Sunak’s grandparents later migrated to the UK in the 1960s, said reports.
Rishi Sunak’s father, Yashvir Sunak, was a general practitioner, while his mother Usha Sunak was a pharmacist. They got married in Leicester in 1977. The UK PM’s father was born in Kenya while his mother in Tanzania. Rishi Sunak was born in 1980 in Southampton City.
Sunak’s Indian Connection
Rishi Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys co-founder and Indian billionaire NR Narayana Murthy. The couple has two daughters- Anoushka and Krishna.
The Indian-origin politician has often embraced his Hindu roots. Once he stated that Bhagavad Gita reminds him to be conscious.
When he was made the finance minister of Britain, Rishi Sunak took an oath by placing his hands on Bhagavad Gita. “I am now a citizen of Britain. But my religion is Hindu. My religious and cultural heritage is Indian. I proudly say that I am a Hindu and my identity is also a Hindu,” Sunak had said.
Earlier, Sunak had appealed to give up eating beef and said he never consumed it. As per media reports, Sunak always keeps an idol of Ganesh on his table. In August 2022 during the Conservative Party leadership race, Sunak was seen performing ‘gau puja’.
On the occasion of Janmashtami this year, Sunak visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple with his wife Akshata.
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