31 Dec 2019  |   05:14am IST

Irish PM from 'Varad' to spend NY Eve in Goa

Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is in India on a private visit to the village of his grandfather and father and met with a large number of his relatives
Irish PM from 'Varad' to spend NY Eve in Goa

Team Café

The Irish PM Leo Varadkar, who has his

roots in India, will ring in the New Year in Goa. Varadkar, who is currently on a private visit to India, arrived in Goa on Monday afternoon. There will be no official meetings and he expected to return to Ireland on January 1, 2020.

On Sunday, Varadkar along with his family members visited his ancestral village Varad in the coastal Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. It was his first visit to the village, said Varadkar, who became Prime Minister of Ireland in June 2017. His father, Ashok Varadkar, a doctor, moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s. The visit was a “special moment” as three generations of his family gathered at Varad, the Ireland Prime Minister said after the villagers felicitated him. He also visited a temple of the village deity. During an interaction with villagers, he said, “This is my fifth visit to India but first to Varad village, where my grandfather and father have been brought up. It is a privilege and honour for me to visit this place.”The Ireland PM also said he knows a few words of Marathi, his father’s language, but not enough for interaction.

Varadkar, who is currently on a private visit to India, is staying at a plush resort in North Goa district, a senior police official revealed. Security around the resort has been beefed up.

He also visited a temple of the village deity.

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar