Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, made a faux pas by including a diya (earthen lamp) emoji in his celebratory Holi greeting, for which he was trolled massively on Twitter. The emoji is used to wish Diwali, the festival of lights, since according to Hindu tradition, people use diyas to decorate homes on the occasion.
This error didn't sit well with social media users, who told the former Pakistan prime minister about the distinction between the two festivals.
"Lamp is a symbol for Diwali celebrations, sir," commented a user.
"Holi is a festival of colours and is celebrated in the spring every year, whereas Diwali is celebrated usually from mid-October to mid-November, depending on the moon. Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness, and candles and diyas are lit during this festival. The ongoing festival is Holi," commented another user.
Nonetheless, this mistake made Mr Sharif's tweet viral, and even the screenshots are now being shared on numerous websites.
This is not the first time that a Pakistani politician has made a mistake on social media by mixing Hindu festivals. In 2021, the Chief Minister of Sindh in Pakistan, Syed Murad Ali Shah, wished the Hindu community a 'Happy Holi' on the occasion of Diwali. He also faced major embarrassment on social media at that time when people, including Pakistani citizens, educated him about the differences between these two festivals. He deleted that Urdu tweet to escape embarrassment.
