Do not listen to those who have been saying that Deepawali should be celebrated on Monday, says Youth and Sports Minister Parveen Kumar.
He made the comment during pre-Diwali celebration in Ba on Wednesday night.
Speaking in the Hindi language, he said all religions in Fiji had equal freedom to express and celebrate their holy days and events.
“Just recently, some people have stated that the public holiday for Deepawali is on Monday and that we should celebrate Deepawali on Monday,” said Mr Kumar.
“This can’t happen. We will celebrate on Sunday because in this country, each and every religion has equal rights.
“We celebrate our religious festivals together as one people and we live in a land where we are free to worship.
“Don’t dwell on those comments that are negative. Get together with your families and celebrate Deepawali as you have been doing.”
Comments made by a Social Democratic Liberal Party parliamentarian on social media had sparked outrage in Fijians of Indian descent.
The parliamentarian had allegedly said Deepawali should not be celebrated on Sunday because it was a quiet day of rest for Christians.
The comment drew sharp criticism from Hindus and non-Hindus alike on social media platforms.
Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission director Ashwin Raj had labelled the parliamentarian’s comments “narrow-minded and parochial”.
