Auckland: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited the Radha Krishna Temple in Auckland ahead of national elections to be held in September. Radha Krishna Temple is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi Center run by the Auckland Indian Association. Adhering to Indian traditions, PM Ardern took off his sandals before entering the temple. She participated in ‘Aarti’ and also ate ‘Prasad’.
New Zealand Indian envoy Muktesh Pardeshi was also present on the occasion. On PM Ardern’s visit to the temple, she said, “She took a trip to the Radha Krishna temple and enjoyed a simple Indian vegetarian meal Puri, Chole and Dal.”
A video of PM Ardern going to the temple is going viral, where he can be seen getting out of his car and entering the temple. Hindi language has emerged as the fourth most spoken language in New Zealand as Indians comprise 5% of its population.
On 19 September, people in New Zealand will cast their votes for the national elections and, if polled before the elections, the Ardern-led Labor Party is set to return to power once again.
Ardern was praised worldwide for her steps in controlling, spreading the COVID-19 outbreak in New Zealand. According to the latest health bulletin, there are 23 active cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand and all are in isolation. New Zealand has so far confirmed a total of 1,219 infections of COVID-19.
