Trump’s daughter to celebrate Diwali at temple

Washington: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's daughter will celebrate the Diwali festival at a Hindu temple in the crucial swing state of Virginia with the members of the Indian-American community, who have traditionally supported the Democratic party in the US polls. Ivanka Trump will celebrate Diwali with Indian-Americans during her visit to the Rajdhani Temple at Chantilly on Wednesday, campaign officials and community leaders said.

This is the first time a family member of one of the two top presidential candidates is visiting a Hindu temple. Last week, Trump attended a charity event organised by Republican Hindu Council to raise funds for Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu victims of terrorism in Bangladesh.

This was also the first time a presidential candidate attended an Indian- American event. It was attended by more than 5,000 people. The visit of Ivanka, 34, a successful businesswoman and a key figure of the Trump campaign, to the Rajdhani Temple would "go a long way in breaking the stereotype," that the campaign "represents only angry white voters," said Rajesh Gooty, an Indian-American community leader in Virginia. This is a big positive for the community," he told PTI. Inaugurated in 2000, the Rajdhani Temple is the oldest temple in Loudon County of Virginia, which has experienced the fastest growth of Indian-Americans in the past decade.