Responding to a controversy over a movie poster showing Hindu deity Kaali smoking a cigarette and wielding the rainbow flag of the LGBTQI community, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday said the goddess, to her, was “meat-eating, alcohol-accepting”.
“Kaali to me, is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. You have the freedom to imagine your goddess. There are some places where whiskey is offered to gods and in some other places it would be blasphemy,” Moitra said on the second day of India Today Conclave East 2022.
According to a report by India Today, Moitra said the goddess is offered whiskey in Sikkim that will be considered a blasphemous act in Uttar Pradesh.
“When you go to Sikkim, you will see that they offer whiskey to Goddess Kaali. But if you go to Uttar Pradesh, and if you tell them that you offer whiskey to the goddess as ‘prasad’, they will call it blasphemy,” she was quoted as saying.
Belonging to West Bengal, where the Hindu goddess is worshipped with much devotion, Moitra was asked to give her take on the controversy surrounding a poster of documentary by film-maker Leena Manimekalai.
But, Moitra’s party, the Trinamool Congress, condemned her comments and said they were “not endorsed by the party”.
The party tweeted: “The comments made by @MahuaMoitra at the #IndiaTodayConclaveEast2022 and her views expressed on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity and are NOT ENDORSED BY THE PARTY in ANY MANNER OR FORM. All India Trinamool Congress strongly condemns such comments.”
The comments made by @MahuaMoitra at the #IndiaTodayConclaveEast2022 and her views expressed on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity and are NOT ENDORSED BY THE PARTY in ANY MANNER OR FORM.All India Trinamool Congress strongly condemns such comments.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 5, 2022
Moitra, too, received massive backlash on social media for her comments with #MahuaMoitra trending on Twitter. But, she slammed her critics and said “lying will not make you better Hindus”. The MP said she had not commented on any film’s poster or even mentioned the word ‘smoking’ during her speech at the conclave. She also suggested those condemning her should visit Tarapith (a pilgrimage in West Bengal considered as one of the shakti piths in Hinduism) to know more.
She tweeted: “To all you sanghis- lying will NOT make you better hindus. I NEVER backed any film or poster or mentioned the word smoking. Suggest you visit my Maa Kali in Tarapith to see what food & drink is offered as bhog. Joy Ma Tara.”
To all you sanghis- lying will NOT make you better hindus.I NEVER backed any film or poster or mentioned the word smoking. Suggest you visit my Maa Kali in Tarapith to see what food & drink is offered as bhog. Joy Ma Tara
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 5, 2022
The poster depicts a woman dressed as the Hindu deity Kaali. She is seen smoking a cigarette and wielding the LGBTQI community’s Pride flag. It went viral on social media and led to widespread anger. Many people said the poster had managed to insult the Hindu community and, in turn, hurt religious sentiments.
Many have also called for the arrest of Manimekalai, with Delhi Police registering a case against the filmmaker in connection with the controversial poster. Police said the FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint from a lawyer, alleging that such a “provocative” poster existed.
The case has been registered under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).
Under attack for her poster, Manimekalai also said she will continue to use her voice fearlessly till she is alive.
Several Twitter users slammed Manimekalai. The Canada-based filmmaker tweeted in Tamil, “I have nothing to lose. Till the time I live, I wish to live with a voice that speaks what I believe without fear. If the price for that is my life, it can be given.” The Madurai-born filmmaker’s Kaali is part of the ‘Rhythms of Canada’ segment at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
On Monday, the Indian High Commission, too, urged Canadian authorities to withdraw the “disrespectful depiction of Hindu gods” shown as part of the project. “We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material,” a press release from the Indian high commission said.
It added: “Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the organizers of the event. We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action.”
(With PTI inputs)
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