United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office on Friday tendered an apology after some British Hindus objected to non-vegetarian food and alcohol being served during a Diwali reception at 10 Downing Street, PTI reported.
The apology came after British Indian Conservative Party MP Shivani Raja, in a formal letter to Starmer, expressed concerns over the reception not being “in keeping with the customs of many Hindus”.
“I feel it speaks poorly against the organisation of this year’s event – with a disappointing lack of knowledge of the customs and traditions that many British citizens hold dear,” her letter posted on social media said.
“As a practising Hindu representing thousands of Hindus within my own constituency of Leicester East, I have been deeply saddened to hear that this year’s festivities were overshadowed in the greatest Office of State by negativity, as a result of this oversight,” said the first-time Tory member of Parliament elected in July from the city of Leicester.
Raja also offered her “assistance and guidance” to the Labour Party government in organising all future Hindu celebrations to ensure they are celebrated in a “respectful manner”.
On Friday, Starmer’s office, without making any direct reference to the menu served on October 29, said that it has acknowledged the strength of feeling on the issue and assured the community that it would not be repeated in future.
“The Prime Minister was pleased to welcome a range of communities celebrating Diwali to a reception in Downing Street,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“He paid tribute to the huge contribution the British Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities make to our country and how the government is driven by the shared values of hard work, ambition and aspiration. A mistake was made in the organisation of the event,” the spokesperson said.
“We understand the strength of feeling on this issue and so would apologise to the community and assure them it will not happen again,” the spokesperson added.
The Downing Street event on October 29 was the first Diwali reception since the Keir Starmer-led Labour party government came into power. The reception has been held regularly over the years at Downing Street and insiders indicated Starmer was keen to follow in the footsteps of Rishi Sunak as the first British Hindu Prime Minister of Britain and light candles on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street to mark Diwali, according to PTI.