‘To me, Kaali is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess’: TMC’s Mahua Moitra

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday spoke out in support of Canada-based filmmaker Leena Manimekali – who is the subject of social media outrage (and FIRs by police in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh) after a poster for her new film ‘Kaali’ showed the goddess smoking.

In the same poster, Kali is also holding a rainbow flag – a globally recognised symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer pride – in one of her hands.

“You have the freedom to imagine your goddess,” Moitra said at a media event.

“To me, Kaali is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess,” she said, adding, “There are some places where whiskey is offered to gods and in some other places it would be blasphemy.”

The Trinamool leader was responding to a question about her take on this controversy.

The poster showing the goddess Kali smoking triggered fury on social media and prompted the Indian High Commission in Toronto to ask for the posters to be removed.

“Our Consulate-General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns… we are informed several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action,” read a statement, “We urge Canadian authorities and event organisers to withdraw all such provocative material.”

On Monday, police in UP registered a FIR against Manimekali and two others who worked on the film on charges of ‘criminal conspiracy, offence in place of worship, deliberately hurtling religious sentiments, (and) intention to provoke breach of peace’.

A case has also been filed by Delhi Police – for allegedly insulting Hindu sentiments.

Manimekalai, who was born in Tamil Nadu, has defended the poster. “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,” she tweeted.