US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated Diwali at the National Democratic Club, Washington DC today.
Pelosi was pictured lighting the traditional Indian lamp or diya. Several prominent elected officials, including Congressman Richard Neal, Chair, US House Ways and Means Committee, joined the celebrations.
US Congressman Danny K Davis of Chicago, Illinois hosted a Congressional reception to celebrate #Diwali on Nov 3 evening at the National Democratic Club, Washington DC. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lit the traditional lamp to signify Diwali and headlined the event. pic.twitter.com/WDwvz22zlb
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2021
Dr Vijay G Prabhakar, Indian American community leader from Chicago said that this Diwali celebration with the participation of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the third-highest elected official of the US was significant because this was the first time since 2009 that Diwali was not being hosted at the White House.
Barack Obama was the first US President to celebrate Diwali at the White House in 2009, and thereafter all Presidents annually celebrated Diwali.
Dr Prabhakar said that the White House not celebrating Diwali this year 2021 led them to organise official celebrations for the first time with the US House Speaker, the State of Illinois House Speaker, the City of Chicago Council and Cook County Treasurer's office to showcase India's heritage.
Dr Sreenivas Reddy, member, National Council on White House History said that Indian-American leaders have participated in this celebration to usher in a spirit of prosperity and peace with the Biden-Harris administration and strengthen US-Indo ties.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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