Text messages sent in the name of the Surat Diamond Association falsely announcing that this year’s Diwali festival would be marked by a two-month vacation have caused some confusion in the city’s diamond industry, the Times of India reports.



The messages, which were sent from blocked numbers, announced a two-month Diwali break starting October 1, rather than the customary 15 to 20-day vacation the local diamond industry allows its workers.



Surat Diamond Association President Dinesh Navadia sought to reassure the city’s diamantaires, saying that the SDA had not taken any decision to declare a long Diwali break and urging the city’s diamond sector to “function normally.”



Navadia said that the false notification had been sent out by groups seeking to disrupt the local industry ahead of the holiday.