With the end of campaigning for the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced a 45-hour meditation session on Thursday at the renowned Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari.
Upon arriving in the city in the evening, the Prime Minister first visited the Bhagavathy Amman Temple to offer prayers before proceeding to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial.
From Thursday evening to the evening of June 1, Modi will meditate at Dhyan Mandapam, the site where the esteemed Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda is believed to have experienced a divine vision of ‘Bharat Mata’.
Tamil Nadu | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari
He will meditate from 30th May evening to 1st June evening.
PM Modi will meditate day and night at the same place where Swami Vivekanand did meditation, at the Dhyan Mandapam. pic.twitter.com/s3oX46ChZG
— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2024
Security measures have been intensified due to Modi’s visit, with 2,000 police officers deployed during his stay. The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy are also maintaining strict surveillance. Follow comprehensive coverage of the Lok Sabha elections.
According to PTI, the beach is off-limits to tourists from Thursday to Saturday, and private boats are prohibited from operating.
Modi had taken similar breaks at the conclusion of the election campaigns in 2014, when he visited Pratapgarh, the site of a historic battle between the Maratha forces led by Shivaji and the Bijapur troops under General Afzal Khan, and in 2019, when he became the first person to meditate in a special cave in Kedarnath.
The Congress has opposed PM Modi’s visit to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, alleging that he is attempting to “circumvent” the restrictions of the silence period with his 48-hour meditation trip in Kanyakumari. They have urged the Election Commission to ensure that the visit is not broadcasted by the media, claiming it violates the model code of conduct, and have filed a formal complaint with the poll body.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, following a meeting of a Congress delegation with ECI officials, stated that Modi’s meditation is a direct violation of the model code of conduct.
“…You are either campaigning this way or publicising yourself through new channels and print media,” Singhvi said.
Campaigning for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, covering 57 seats across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, concluded on Thursday evening.
Polling is set for June 1 in all 13 seats in Punjab and four in Himachal Pradesh, as well as 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, and three seats in Jharkhand, in addition to Chandigarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term from Varanasi.
Since the Lok Sabha poll schedule was announced on March 16, Modi has completed 206 public outreach events, including rallies and roadshows, PTI reported.
The prime minister significantly exceeded his nearly 145 public engagements from the 2019 elections. This campaign period lasted 76 days, compared to the 68 days in the elections held five years ago.