Ukraine’s ‘Maa Kali’ tweet sparks Hinduphobia allegations by Indian users

A morphed image of a female figure above blast smoke tweeted by the Ukrainian defence ministry on Sunday triggered outrage, with netizens accusing it of mimicking the Hindu deity Kali and labelling it disrespectful and “Hinduphobic.”

The official account, @DefenceU, tweeted a photo of a female in an upskirt pose reminiscent of Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe with the caption, “Work of art.” However, it wasn’t received well by several Indian users, and the backlash forced its removal.

“I am absolutely appalled to see the Ukrainian defence handle mocking Maa Kali, a revered Hindu goddess. This is a gross display of insensitivity and ignorance. I urge them to take down the offensive content and issue an apology. Respect for all religions and beliefs is paramount,” a user tweeted.

Even when it was deleted, the screengrab of the post was widely shared on social media platforms asking for an apology, with some even tagging the Indian foreign ministry and EAM Jaishankar to intervene.

While many condemned the posts, there were also some users who claimed it was unnecessary controversy. “Wake up to yourselves; it’s only a cartoon and a joke. Are you so far up your…that you are unable to take a joke?” a user tweeted.

The Ukrainian defence ministry has yet to respond to the controversy.

‘Maa Kali’ photo morphed into blast smoke from a Russian plant!

The “Hindu goddess Kali” caricature was blended over a blast fume picture purportedly coming from a Russian fuel storage facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, which was allegedly hit by a Ukrainian drone on Saturday.

According to Reuters, quoting RBC Ukraine, a Ukrainian military intelligence official stated that more than ten tanks of oil products with a capacity of roughly 40,000 metric tonnes meant for use by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet were destroyed.

Some linked the post to the Ukraine ministry “hurting the sentiments of Indians” for their “support for Russia”.