Presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appears to be having a difficult time in convincing Republican leaders to support him in the November presidential election. However, in faraway country in Asia people are actually praying to their gods for him to win the election.
In India, members of a right-wing Hindu group lit a ritual fire and chanted mantras Wednesday asking the Hindu gods to help Trump win the U.S. presidential election, the Associated Press reports.
Trump appears to have endeared himself to Hindus after he called for a temporarily ban on Muslims entering America and a crackdown on extremist groups abroad.
"Only Donald Trump can save humanity," said Vishnu Gupta, founder of the Hindu Sena nationalist group which is spearheading a prayer campaign for Trump. "The whole world is screaming against Islamic terrorism, and even India is not safe from it," he added.
"Donald Trump is the man with brave heart. He vowed to destroy Islamic terrorism," Gupta said. "He is our hero and deserves our support."
Members of the group gathered in a New Delhi park, bringing a collection of statues depicting such Hindu gods as Shiva and Hanuman as well as photos of a smiling Trump with red dots daubed on his forehead.
They also hung a banner declaring their support for Trump "because he is hope for humanity against Islamic terror."
They chanted Sanskrit prayers asking the gods to favour Trump in the election. They also threw offerings such as seeds, grass and ghee into a small ritual fire.
Krishna Prasad, the editor of Outlook, says Indians are comparing the rise of Trump and the election of Narendra Modi as India's Prime Minister in 2014. "Both were outsiders, and both ran on a demonstrable record of getting things done," says Prasad, according to a CNN report.
"Modi and Trump tapped into the angst of the people. Trump's racist comments mirror things that have been said here as well," he adds, pointing to recent comments by ruling-party parliamentarians on Islam.
"Trump evokes all kinds of feelings in India," says S. Prasannarajan, editor of Open magazine.
"Indians admire his popularity, his success, his wealth. Indians aren't impacted by the Mexican border—they are more taken by the idea of a strong leader who isn't always politically correct."
