‘Kali’ remarks: BJP demands Mahua Moitra’s arrest; MP unfollows TMC on Twitter
The BJP unit in West Bengal has filed a complaint against Mahua Moitra for “insulting” Goddess Kali and demanded her immediate arrest even as the TMC MP unfollowed her party’s official Twitter handle on Wednesday (July 6).
After her comments on Goddess Kali at an event, her party – TMC condemned them and said that the Krishnanagar MP had made those remarks in her personal capacity.
Also read: ‘India is sinking into dark hole of hate and bigotry’: Leena Manimekalai on Kali row
“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 TMC tweeted on Tuesday.
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
Not satisfied with mere condemnation of the comments, Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said TMC should expel or suspend her from the party.
“TMC can’t detach itself from comments of Mahua Moitra. If TMC actually doesn’t endorse it, they should take action – they should either expel her or suspend her from the party for a few days: West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar on TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s comments on Goddess Kali. Our Mahila Morcha will stage a sit-in protest, go to Police Station, and request that she (Mahua Moitra) be arrested,” Majumdar was quoted as saying by ANI.
“Mother Kali is not worshiped in the traditional religion as a Goddess who consumes alcohol and meat. Mother Kali has been revered by Hindus for ages as a symbol of the destructive power of evil. I am demanding her (Mahua Moitra) arrest in the light of this statement about mother Kali,” Majumdar tweeted.
মা কালীকে সনাতন ধর্মে অ্যালকোহল এবং মাংস ভক্ষণকারী দেবী রূপে উপাসনা করা হয় না। মা কালী হিন্দুদের কাছে যুগ যুগ ধরে অশুভ শক্তির বিনাশকারী শক্তির প্রতীক রূপে পুজিত হয়ে আসছেন। মহুয়া মৈত্রের মা কালী সম্পর্কে এই বক্তব্যের পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে গ্রেফতারে দাবী জানাচ্ছি। #হিন্দুবিরোধীতৃণমূল pic.twitter.com/fBwtfWI5A3
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) July 5, 2022
Moitra has unfollowed her party’s Twitter handle but continues to follow West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
At the ‘India Today’ conclave, Moitra had said, “For me, Goddess Kali is a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess. And if you go to Tarapith (a major Shakti peeth in West Bengals Birbhum district), you will see sadhus smoking. That is the version of Kali people worship (there). I, within Hinduism, being a Kali worshipper, have the right to imagine Kali in that way; that is my freedom.”
“If you go to Bhutan or Sikkim, for example, when they do puja, they give whisky to their god. Now, if you go to Uttar Pradesh and say that you give whisky to your god as prasad, they will say that is blasphemous,” she added.
Also read: ‘Kaali’ poster row: Indian mission in Canada urges authorities to withdraw ‘provocative material’
Moitra’s comments came amid a row over a ‘Kaali’ documentary poster in which a woman dressed as Kali is shown smoking a cigarette. Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai had defended her documentary even as ‘#arrestleenamanimekalai’ trended on Twitter on Monday.
On Twitter, Moitra had said she never defended the documentary poster or any film. “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 (sic).”
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
