Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday slammed the black poster that showed the goddess smoking and said that freedom of expression cannot be reserved for Hindu gods.
“Freedom of expression cannot be reserved for Hindu gods and goddesses, while religious sensibilities should be taken care of for the rest,” he said on Twitter.
“I am hurt by the film’s poster on Maa Kali, respect should be same for all,” he said.
Freedom of expression cannot be reserved for Hindu gods and goddesses, while religious sensibilities should be taken into account for the rest. I am hurt by the film’s poster on Maa Kali, respect should be same for all and should never become a means to humiliate the enemy – intentionally.
—priyanka chaturvedi (@priyankac19) 5 July 2022
The documentary Kali, showing Devi smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag, triggered a controversy and filmmaker Leena Manimekalai was accused of hurting religious sentiments.
Read | Kali is a non-vegetarian, drinking goddess for me: Mahua Moitra
The Madurai-born filmmaker shared the poster of the documentary Kaali on the microblogging site on Saturday and said that the film is part of the ‘Rhythms of Canada’ segment at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
Earlier in the day, speaking about the black poster controversy, TMC MP Mahua Moitra had said that Kali was for him a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess.
Read also | Kaali movie poster depicts smoking goddess, furious netizens demand filmmaker’s arrest
“When you go to Sikkim, you will see that they offer whiskey to Goddess Kali. 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,” Moitra said.
However, the TMC condemned the statement and distanced itself from the comment, saying, “The remarks made by Mahua Moitra at India Today Conclave East 2022 and her views on Goddess Kali are made in her personal capacity and not endorsed by the party.” in any form or form.”