Downing Avenue has apologised to British Hindus after it served meat and alcohol at its annual Diwali celebration.
No 10 mentioned on Friday it had made a “mistake” within the organisation of the celebration on 29 October, at which beer, wine and lamb kebabs have been reportedly served.
The occasion had prompted complaints from some Hindus within the UK, together with the Conservative MP Shivani Raja, who mentioned she had been “deeply saddened” to listen to in regards to the occasion. Hinduism doesn’t prohibit meat or alcohol, however many observant Hindus are vegetarian and a few are additionally teetotal.
In a press release on Friday, Downing Avenue mentioned: “The prime minister was happy to welcome a spread of communities celebrating Diwali to a reception in Downing Avenue.
“He paid tribute to the massive contribution the British Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities make to our nation and the way the federal government is pushed by the shared values of laborious work, ambition and aspiration.
“A mistake was made within the organisation of the occasion. We perceive the power of feeling on this challenge and so would apologise to the group and guarantee them it won’t occur once more.”
Downing Avenue’s Diwali celebration has change into a serious occasion on the social calendar for British Hindus, particularly since Rishi Sunak grew to become the primary Hindu prime minister in 2022. Considered one of Sunak’s first official appointments as prime minister was to host the celebration, at which he was pictured surrounded by household, lighting conventional candles.
Those that have attended prior to now say the occasion has normally been vegetarian and alcohol-free. Information that this yr’s celebration had served each meat and alcoholic drinks had prompted anger amongst some Hindus.
Raja wrote to the prime minister on Thursday to specific her unhappiness. “I really feel this speaks poorly in opposition to the organisation of this yr’s occasion – with a disappointing lack of information of the customs and traditions that many British residents maintain pricey,” she wrote.
“As a practising Hindu, representing hundreds of Hindus inside my very own constituency of Leicester East, I’ve been deeply saddened to listen to that this yr’s festivities have been overshadowed within the best workplace of state by negativity because of this oversight.”
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Raja was the one Tory MP to win her seat from Labour on the final election, reflecting Labour’s long-term battle to maintain maintain of its Hindu voters. Final yr, the occasion overhauled its outreach efforts to British Indians after a dramatic fall in help amongst that group, from 61% in 2010 to 30% in 2019.
Regardless of the lead to Leicester East, the technique seems to have paid off throughout the nation, with the occasion selecting up two share factors amongst Hindus in 2024 – broadly in keeping with the nation as an entire.
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