NEW YORK: Donald Trump – the outspoken US President – is being trolled on the social media for calling Diwali a “holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains” and not mentioning the Hindus in his tweet concerning the festival of lights.
Donald Trump’s tweet on Diwali triggered a storm on Twitter with users slamming the US President for not mentioning the Hindu community members who celebrate this festival with great fervour and gaiety.
The Twitter community also slammed the US President for omitting Hindus in his first tweet, then deleting it and then re-tweeting it again mentioning the community this time.
”Today, we gathered for Diwali, a holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains throughout the United States & around the world. Hundreds of millions of people have gathered with family & friends to light the Diya and to mark the beginning of a New Year,” Trump said in the first tweet.
However, in another tweet though, Trump said, “It was my great honour to host a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, in the Roosevelt Room at the @WhiteHouse this afternoon. Very, very special people!”
The US President had started his speech kicking off grand Diwali celebrations at the White House on Tuesday mentioning Hinduism.
But the problem apparently began as his first tweet, which was not in sync with the US President’s prepared speech, appeared on Twitter and then deleted and reposted.
After telling people assembled for the celebration, they were a “very impressive group; now I know you are very important, very impressive”, Trump read out from his prepared text, “I am thrilled to be here for the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights and I am honoured to host this beautiful ceremony at the White House.”
Then veering off his text, he added, “Very, very special people.”
However, during his Diwali speech, Trump made a brief mention of the raging wildfire in California, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 40 people, thanked the firefighters and offered support to the victims.
He then picked up his Diwali speech, and continued by saying, “We are gathered today to celebrate a very special holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains throughout the US and around the world.”
The users on social media immediately responded to Trump’s tweets and trolled him for committing the gaffe.
The issue was also picked by the Time magazine and HuffPost.
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