- Thursday, March 13, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
AT a time when Hindus in India and in other parts of the world have slammed the poster of a film made by an Indian-born woman which shows Goddess Kaali smoking and even India’s diplomatic circles have made moves over the sensitivity of the matter, an Indian parliamentarian has backed the spirit behind the poster saying one has the freedom to imagine his/her goddess.
Mahua Moitra, who belongs to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a major anti-Narendra Modi party in India, on Tuesday (5) reacted to the controversy saying, “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.”
ALSO READ: Smoking Kaali row: Indian high commission asks Canada officials to remove ‘provocative material’
Moitra, a western-educated politician who was earlier in the corporate world, said this while speaking on the second day of India Today Conclave East 2022 held in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata.
“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,” the parliamentarian, who is not known for mincing words, said.
Moitra expressed her views when asked about her take on the ongoing controversy over the poster showing the goddess smoking and wielding an LGBTQ community’s pride flag.
The controversy erupted after Leena Manimekalai, the maker of the film who is currently studying in Canada, shared the poster of the film on social media. The post went viral in no time and several Hindu social media users took offence saying it hurt their religious sentiments. Police complaints were also registered against the filmmaker and calls emerged for her arrest.
Hours after Moitra’s remarks came, the TMC condemned them saying they were her personal views.
In a tweet posted by the party’s official handle, it was said, “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
