‘As long as I’m governor …’: Abbott’s resurfaced message to Indian community faces renewed scrutiny online
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“We will continue to celebrate Diwali here in the great state of Texas. Happy Diwali, everybody!”
The clip, which went viral on Monday, appears to originally be from a November 3, 2024, Diwali celebration at the governor’s mansion.
A video of his remarks was uploaded on TikTok two days after the event, on November 5, 2024.
Diwali is a major Hindu holiday, celebrated in the lunar months of Ashvina and Karttika, that marks the victory of light over darkness, according to Britannica. A notable feature of this pagan holiday is the “row of lights” that is associated with the celebrations.
Abbott’s office has previously denied to Blaze News any involvement in facilitating the H-1B program in Texas, noting that it is a federal program. His office has also touted the governor’s pause of H-1B visas at state-sponsored institutions.
A Blaze News analysis of Department of Labor data from the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 found that Texas companies sponsored and certified over 11,200 H-1B visa applications, second only to California, which brought in over 13,700 H-1B visas, according to available data.
Blaze News reached out to Abbott’s office for comment about the resurfaced video but did not receive a response.
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