Seattle Diwali event disrupted: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemns ‘hateful display’

US Representative Pramila Jayapal strongly condemned a disruptive incident at a Diwali celebration in Seattle on Sunday. She harshly denounced the actions of far-right activists Jake Lang and Thomas Allen, who stormed the event and displayed offensive placards. Jayapal asserted that Diwali is a cherished holiday and that the community should feel secure in celebrating it. She vehemently stated that such a hateful display has no place in their city or their nation.

The video footage captured Lang and Allen holding signs that read "Deport all Dotheads" and "Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians." Indian-American businessman Ajay Jain Bhutoria expressed his disapproval, labeling the incident as "pure hate and bigotry." He emphatically stated that targeting Hindu Americans and Indian immigrants with racial slurs and conspiratorial rhetoric has no place in the United States.

Bhutoria vowed to stand against this racism and to defend the right of every American to celebrate their heritage without fear.