New Delhi: Amid backlash over her recent remark on Goddess Kaali, the Madhya Pradesh police on Wednesday (July 6) registered an FIR against TMC MP Mahua Moitra in Bhopal. As per ANI, a case has been lodged under section 295A of IPC for hurting religious sentiments. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said “Hindu religious sentiments have been hurt” by Moitra's statement. “Insult of Hindu deities will not be tolerated at any cost,” the BJP CM added.
Reacting to the controversy over her statement, Moitra said she is a Kali worshipper and is “not afraid of anything”. "Jai Ma Kali! The goddess Bengalis worship is fearless & non-appeasing,” she wrote in a tweet. "Bring it on BJP! I am a Kali worshipper. I am not afraid of anything. Not your ignoramuses. Not your goons. Not your police. And most certainly not your trolls. Truth doesn’t need backup forces," the TMC MP said in another tweet.
Bring it on BJP!
Am a Kali worshipper. I am not afraid of anything. Not your ignoramuses. Not your goons. Not your police. And most certainly not your trolls.
Truth doesn’t need back up forces.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 6, 2022
Bengal BJP has sought the arrest of Moitra for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Further, the saffron party threatened to go to court if no action was taken against her in 10 days.
What’s Mahua Moitra's Goddess Kaali controversy
On Tuesday, the Krishnanagar MP had stirred a controversy by saying that she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kaali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity, as each person had their unique way of offering prayers, PTI reported. Her comments came in the wake of the row over a film poster that showed a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette and holding an LGBTQ+ flag.
TMC distances itself from Mahua Moitra's remarks
TMC distanced itself from Moitra's comment and said it does not endorse her views. "The comments made by @MahuaMoitra at the #IndiaTodayConclaveEast2022 and her views expressed on Goddess Kaali 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 party tweeted.
Clarifying her remarks, Mahua Moitra on Tuesday said that she has "never backed any film or poster or mentioned the word smoking". The TMC MP wrote on Twitter, "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 and drink are offered as bhog. Joy Ma Tara."
(With agency inputs)
