New York: US President Donald Trump on Monday extended his wishes on Diwali, the festival of lights, and said it is a time to bring families and friends together to celebrate.
“Today, I send my best wishes to every American celebrating Diwali — the ‘Festival of Lights’,” Trump said in a statement.
“For many Americans, Diwali is a timeless reminder of light’s victory over darkness. It is also a time to bring families and friends together to celebrate community, draw strength from hope, and embrace a lasting spirit of renewal,” the US president said.
He concluded by wishing that the observance of Diwali brings “abiding serenity, prosperity, hope, and peace” to all Americans celebrating the festival.
Trump said on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed him that India would cease purchasing Russian oil, while cautioning that New Delhi could face ‘massive’ tariffs if it did not comply.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.”
When asked about India’s response, which reportedly denied knowledge of such a conversation earlier, Trump stated, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
The remarks come amid ongoing tensions over global energy markets and US-India trade relations, highlighting the President’s continued focus on tariffs and international trade leverage.
Diwali is bit a federak gikudat ub tge United States, so federal offices, courts, and stock markets like NYSE and Nasdaq remain open. However, several US states and cities officially recognize the festival, allowing schools to close and state employees to take paid time off.
