President-Elect of the United States, Joe Biden conveyed his ‘best wishes’ on the occasion of Diwali, stating that he hopes the festival brings happiness and prosperity to the millions celebrating it.
Taking to Twitter, Biden said “ To the millions of Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists celebrating the Festival of Lights, @DrBiden and I send our best wishes for a #HappyDiwali. May your new year be filled with hope, happiness, and prosperity. Sal Mubarak.”
Vice-President Kamala Harris, who charted history by being the first woman, Black person and Indian-American to be elected to the office of VP, too tweeted her greetings.
“Happy Diwali and Sal Mubarak! @DouglasEmhoff and I wish everyone celebrating around the world a safe, healthy, and joyous new year,” she tweeted.
White House Celebrates Diwali
In a picture tweeted from his official Twitter handle, a rather gloomy President Trump could be seen lighting a diya, surrounded by a group of people, at the White House.
In a statement released by the White House, First Lady Melania Trump and he sent their “warmest wishes” to all those celebrating on the occasion of Diwali.
“During this Festival of Lights, friends, neighbors, and loved ones join in fellowship to commemorate the spiritual triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. As diyas are lit throughout homes, workplaces, communities, and places of worship, their warmth reminds us of the hope and devotion that faith and tradition bring into our lives,” the statement quoted outgoing President Trump as saying.
In the recently-concluded, US elections, Joe Biden won 290 electoral college votes, while outgoing President Donald Trump won 232 EC votes. However, Trump has refused to concede defeat and said that he would emerge a winner if only ‘legal votes’ are counted.
World Leaders Extend Diwali Greetings
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison were also among world leaders who tweeted Diwali greetings.
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