- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
The Indian-origin premier and his Indian-born wife Akshata Murty welcomed guests from the Indian community to their official residence on the occasion of the festival.
By: Shubham Ghosh
A MAN in the UK has faced a backlash on social media after criticising prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Diwali celebrations at 10 Downing Street. The Indian-origin premier and his Indian-born wife Akshata Murty welcomed guests from the Indian community to their official residence on the occasion of the festival and several pictures of them celebrating were shared on Sunak’s official social media handles.
Among the guests of the premier and his wife were Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Steve Laws, who calls himself a reporter from South East Kent who covers illegal immigration in his portal Steve Laws Report, compared the celebrations at 10 Downing to a ‘Bollywood set’.
Number 10 Downing Street looks like the set of a Bollywood film instead of the home of a British Prime Minister.
Today it’s been occupied by a mob of Indians celebrating Diwali. pic.twitter.com/gPLueX5dWA
— Steve Laws (@Steve_Laws_) November 12, 2023
“Number 10 Downing Street looks like the set of a Bollywood film instead of the home of a British Prime Minister. Today it’s been occupied by a mob of Indians celebrating Diwali,” he said on X on Monday(13) after posting a picture of Sunak and Murty, wearing an ethnic outfit, with their guests at the residence.
Reactions soon poured in with many calling Laws’s remarks ‘racist’.
One user wrote, “Canada, Australia, USA Alaska, New Zealand where all the landers native brown people would you turned into completely white nation by mass occurring with the original inhabitants! White people were shipped out of the UK and Europe to these occupied lands to replace the native people.”
“That’s how we felt when UK ruled over India and stole all our wealth. At least this is done through voting and democracy unlike UK invaded and stole everything,” another said.
“Each one of them came to England and contributed to its economy. While you folks came to India and looted $ 45 trillion and made us the poorest nation on earth. Looting and racism goes hand in hand in your,” wrote another, recalling Britain’s centuries-long colonial rule over India.
The official X account of Sunak posted alongside pictures of Diwali celebrations, “Tonight Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed guests from the Hindu community to Downing Street ahead of Diwali – a celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. Shubh Diwali to everyone across the UK and around the world celebrating this weekend!”
One of the pictures showed the prime minister and his wife lighting the ‘diya’ or ceremonial lamp together.
Here are some other reactions that Laws faced on social media:
You're crying for this? The amount muslims you guys have welcomed, wait for a few years and see Number 10 turning into a mosque.
— dewdrops (@MaaKeChittar) November 13, 2023
I would pray to my 33 gods
That the Tories lose the next election
And, you guys get a Muslim Prime Minister.
Then your whining will stop.— Darjee (@PoliticalDarjee) November 13, 2023
British Racists have forgotten the difference between friends and foes.
Let me remind you again.
Radical Muslims – FOES
Sanatani Hindus – FRIENDS— Main Hoon Na (@DedhPasli) November 13, 2023
India played a huge part in UK history. It's a huge part of successfully assimilated UK culture…
This scene is no different than if he were Micky O'Sunak surrounded by Irishmen celebrating St Patrick's Day in Number 10…
Or maybe I'm just a dumb American.
*shrug*— D.C. Pennington (@DCPenningtonArt) November 13, 2023
