FBI Director Kash Patel was attacked by conservatives in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement over a post he made celebrating the Hindu holiday Diwali.
This wouldn’t be the first time the FBI director has faced backlash from the very group that rallied for his confirmation to lead the bureau.
In the aftermath of the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk, conservatives strongly criticized Patel for his handling of the investigation into the murder.
Now, the FBI director faces a whirlwind of criticism for supporting Diwali.
The holiday is notably celebrated by Hindu’s, Sikhs, Jains, and even Buddhists, according to The New Republic.
Hindu’s specifically view the holiday as a festival of lights celebrating the triumph of good against evil and the return of Prince Rama.
As one would expect, Patel was raised a Hindu by two Indian parents who immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1900s.
Patel showed his appreciation for the Hindu holiday on X, only to be immediately flooded with criticism.
“Happy Diwali—celebrating the Festival of Lights around the world, as good triumphs over evil,” he wrote.
The post, which garnered over 5 million views and nearly 3,000 comments, quickly became an arena of controversy.
Many MAGA conservatives, who are generally of the Christian faith, expressed their disappointment with Patel.
“No. America is a Christian nation,” Kangmin Lee said in response to Patel’s post.
“Careful what light you celebrate, because even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. The real Light of the World is Christ the King,” another user said.
A Utah pastor with over 70,000 X followers respectfully asked Patel not to promote Diwali, writing, “Sir, please don’t promote the festivals of foreign gods in America.”
While Patel faced a heavy amount of criticism, some users on X rushed to his defense and expressed their disappointment at the comments directed at the FBI director.
“It’s amusing how much racist hatred is being spewed on Kash by Christians likely of his own party in the comments to this post. All this for being unapologetic about his Dharma. There really are two Americas and the Bill of Rights should be read with a pinch of salt,” D Srinivasan said.
Some even called for Patel’s deportation over his faith.
“You should be deported,” Zach said.
In a White House statement, President Donald Trump sent his “best wishes” to Americans celebrating Diwali.
The president said that, for many, the Hindu holiday “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. As millions of citizens light diyas and lanterns, we rejoice in the eternal truth that good will always triumph over evil. To every American celebrating Diwali, may this observance bring abiding serenity, prosperity, hope, and peace,” he added.
Diwali’s origins date back over 2,500 years.
It is generally regarded as India’s biggest holiday.
