Holyrood Diwali celebrations cancelled days after Foysol Choudhury suspension
The event had been due to mark the 10th anniversary of Edinburgh Diwali.
An event to celebrate Diwali at the Scottish Parliament has been cancelled, just days after a key MSP behind the event was suspended for alleged harassment.
The event to mark the tenth anniversary of Edinburgh Diwali was due to be held in Holyrood’s members’ restaurant on Tuesday evening. It was due to be officially sponsored by Foysol Choudhury MSP, who was suspended by Scottish Labour last week. Diwali is the Indian festival of light.
The Lothians MSP has not been seen in Parliament since the allegations came to light. Since his suspension, Mr Choudhury has voted against the Labour Party on two separate occasions.
The organisers of Edinburgh Diwali told The Scotsman they were informed last week the event had been cancelled and said this was “due to circumstances outside our control”.
The Scottish Parliament also confirmed the event was no longer going ahead.
However, the main Edinburgh Diwali celebrations on November 2 are still due to go ahead as planned. This includes a parade from St Andrew’s Square, live music at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens and a fireworks display.
The event aimed to highlight the festival being “celebrated in a truly multicultural way in the city centre” and “encouraging participation from different cultures based in Edinburgh and Scotland”.
Mr Choudhury was first elected to represent the Lothians in 2021. He was born in Bangladesh and is chairman of the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council. He is a founding director and vice-chairman of the Edinburgh Mela.