Advocating peace in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, a Hindu MP from Pakistan today expressed hope that India and Pakistan would move forward in the direction of friendship.
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was part of a 220-member delegation from 185 countries which was invited to attend the Kumbh festivities by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
"I will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday and request them that peace be given a chance," Mr Vankwani told the media. He said he had made similar requests to the Pakistan government as well.
Mr Vankwani also congratulated the governments at the centre and in Uttar Pradesh for the disciplined manner in which the Kumbh Mela had been organised.
He said though he had visited the Kumbh many times in the past, the arrangements this time were the most disciplined he had seen. He said this was the first time he came on a government invitation.
Accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, the foreign delegates were flown into Prayagraj from New Delhi in two special aircraft. They were greeted by a cultural troupe on their arrival at the Bamrauli airport here.
"In the first aircraft, 58 foreigners and 14 officials arrived. The second aircraft carrying the remaining guests arrived shortly after noon," an official informed IANS.
A special screening of the documentary "Kumbh: Eternal Journey of Civilization" by Harshit Jain was held for the visiting delegates. A cruise onboard 'Sangam,' a ship specially decorated for the high-profile visit, was organised for the visitors.
Mr Singh told reporters that the idea behind the ICCR initiative was to make "the delegates see that Kumbh was not just the confluence of rivers but also of different religions and faiths".
He added that so far 22 crore people from across the country and the world have visited the Kumbh Mela.
AI-Based Technology To Be Used For Crowd Management At Kumbh Mela 2025 PM Modi Pays Homage To Security Personnel Killed In Pulwama Terror Attack Rajasthan Congress Leader's "How Did Pulwama Happen" Remark Sparks New Row Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Elon Musk Congratulates PM Modi On Becoming Most Followed Leader On X With Shadow Cabinet, Naveen Patnaik Makes His Intentions Clear Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.