Om Birla meets former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; promotes India-UK ties, Mahatma Gandhi's legacy

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is currently on a tour of Britain, which includes visits to Scotland and Guernsey Island.

During his tour, he met with former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday and exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including their historical ties, shared values of parliamentary democracy, and people-to-people contacts.

They also discussed the impact of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, social media, and fake news, emphasising the need for appropriate laws to address these challenges.

Taking this to social media platform X, Om Birla wrote in a post, "Had a warm meeting with H. E. Mr. Rishi Sunak, former Prime Minister of UK.

We exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including our historical ties, shared values of parliamentary democracy, people-to-people contacts, and impacts of IT, AI, social media, fake news and the need to have appropriate laws to tackle such challenges."

"Informed him about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's priorities in the fields of IT, agriculture, rural development, women empowerment, skilled labour and about India's Nari Shakti Vandan Act, New Education policy, Digital payment infrastructure," he added.

The Lok Sabha Speaker also shared how Indian cities are being promoted as hubs for pharmaceuticals, manufacturing etc. which complement and support further strengthening of India-UK cooperation. "Thanked him for his contributions in elevating India-UK bilateral ties," Om Birla added in his post on X.

Om Birla also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in London, reflecting on his enduring legacy.

"The timeless relevance of Gandhian ideals of non-violence, truth, and self-reliance, continue to inspire the framework of international relations. In a world grappling with conflicts and climate change, Gandhi ji's vision of peace and cooperation serves as a beacon of hope.

By embracing these principles, the global community can address complexities with compassion and moral integrity, fostering collective progress while preserving the dignity of each one of us," he said in a post on X.