Some Christians aligned with the MAGA movement have criticized FBI Director Kash Patel for acknowledging a Hindu festival, despite former President Donald Trump’s previous recognition of the same celebration.

Patel took to social media platform X, sharing a post to honor Diwali, the Festival of Lights. This celebration is observed by over a billion people globally, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and certain Buddhist communities.

“Happy Diwali – celebrating the Festival of Lights around the world, as good triumphs over evil,” Patel expressed in his post.

The post sparked a wave of criticism from some users who disapproved of the FBI director’s participation in the holiday.

One user commented, “This is America. We don’t celebrate Diwali,” while another remarked, “This is a Christian nation. Take that back to India.”

A third X user who boasted that he was ‘right wing before it was cool’ even declared that Patel’s post is ‘not compatible with American tradition,’ and another conservative asked why Patel was ‘betraying Charlie Kirk,’ a devout Christian. 

‘Well we didn’t get the Epstein files but we got goofy foreign holidays,’ a fifth chimed in.

But even Trump issued a presidential message marking the holiday Monday night.

 Christian conservatives hit out at FBI Director Kash Patel (right with Pam Bondi) for sharing a post celebrating a Hindu festival

The FBI director posted an image on X to commemorate Diwali, the Festival of Lights celebrated by more than a billion people worldwide including Hindus, Sikhs, Jain and some Buddhists

‘For many Americans, Diwali is a timeless reminder of light’s victory over darkness,’ he said. 

‘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.’ 

Others also showed support for Patel, with one X user wishing him a happy Diwali.

‘There’s enough things to get mad at you for, but you sending Diwali greetings isn’t one of them,’ he wrote.

Diwali has been growing in popularity across the United States with three states now recognizing it as an official holiday – California, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill earlier this month officially adopting the holiday in the state.

The law, which goes into effect in the new year, authorizes public schools and community colleges to close on Diwali and allows state employees and public school students to take the day off.

California is home to roughly 960,000 Indian Americans, representing about 20 percent of all Indian Americans living in the United States, according to Deseret News.

Other major hubs include Texas, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. 

Many who responded to the post criticized the FBI director for celebrating the holiday, claiming it was ‘anti-American’

Though they do not recognize Diwali as a state holiday, schools in New Jersey and New York – including New York City, the largest school district in the United States – close for the holiday. 

It was in New York, which the Pew Research Center estimates is home to 390,000 Indian Americans, where Patel was born.

He is the first FBI director of Indian-American descent, with his ancestors hailing from the Bhadran village of Gujarat, India before they moved to Uganda,  the Economic Times reports.

Patel’s father was then expelled from the African country in 1972 by dictator Idi Amin, who ordered the Indian community to leave.

From there, the family settled in Canada and eventually moved to the United States, where the FBI director, whose full name is Kashyap Pramod Patel, was born in 1980.

Upon taking office as the head of the nation’s largest law enforcement agency earlier this year, Patel declared he is ‘living the American dream’ – telling ‘anyone who thinks the American dream is dead [to] look right here.

‘You’re talking to a first-generation Indian who is about to lead the law enforcement agency of the greatest nation on Earth,’ he said. ‘That can’t happen anywhere else.’ 

Women carry diyas, or traditional oil lamps, at the premises of Shri Swaminarayan Temple during celebrations to mark Diwali, the festival of lights, in Varanasi on Monday

People are pictured lighting firecrackers for Diwali in India on Monday night

One X user suggested there were other things for conservatives to be mad at Patel about, but his religious beliefs should not be one of them

Patel has also been open about his Hindu beliefs, with the India Tribune – a Chicago-based website even publishing a feature piece on him entitled ‘FBI Director Kash Patel: A Hindu Warrior in Washington’s Political Battlefield.’

In the piece, he said his upbringing was ‘rooted in the values of Hinduism – hard work, respect and education – values that have influenced his worldview.’

He also underscored the importance of the Hindu principles of dharma (righteous duty), karma (action with accountability) and seva (selfless service), which Patel said guide his work in public service.

MAGA loyalists have previously turned on Patel over his handling of the so-called Epstein files.

In July, Patel insisted that the the FBI and the Justice Department concluded there was not a ‘client list’ of the disgraced financier’s co-conspirators – as e declared that no one else would be charged in connection to Epstein’s crimes. 

Widespread public outcry ensued with the public demanding that the federal government release the names of anyone named in the files.

But Patel confirmed at an FBI oversight hearing last month that his agency does not have in its possession any files that include names of those to whom Epstein trafficked women – including minors. 

He explained that since the original search warrants from then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Alex Acosta were ‘limited,’ there are no people named in the files that participated in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring.

As such, Patel said the feds have ‘no credible evidence’ Epstein trafficked women to anyone other than himself.

Patel has previously come under fire for his handling of the so-called Epstein files 

The FBI concluded there was no so-called ‘client list’ of Epstein’s co-conspirators

Patel also gained flack last month for announcing that a ‘subject’ had been captured just hours after Kirk was fatally shot on a Utah college campus. 

‘The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,’ he wrote on X.

A little more than 90 minutes later, Patel shared a follow-up post saying the ‘subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.’ 

The ‘subject’ was one of two individuals detained that day who were later determined not to be involved in the killing.

Patel faced a hail of criticism for his handling of the investigation, with alleged assassin Tyler Robinson being arrested days later only after his father turned him into authorities. 

But he has since defended his actions that day, telling Fox & Friends last month:  ‘I was telling the world what the FBI was doing as we were doing it. And I am continuing to do that.

‘I stated in that message that we had a “subject.” And that we were going to interview him. And we did and he was released,’ he explained.

‘The job of the FBI is not just to manhunt the actual suspect who did the killing or suspects but it’s also to eliminate targets and eliminate subjects who are not involved in the process. That’s what we were doing.

‘Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment? Sure. But do I regret putting it out? Absolutely not,’ he said.