Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI, JULY 6 : Two complaints have been filed by the BJP against TMC leader Mahua Moitra for “insulting” goddess Kali in West Bengal. While the first complaint was lodged by some BJP workers in the morning on Wednesday, the second complaint was lodged by Bengal BJP leader Rajarshi Lahiri at Rabindra Sarobar police station.

In his complaint, Lahiri has said that “Moitra deliberately made the statement without knowing anything about our religion and religious belief. The statement was made with the sole intention of demeaning goddess Kali”.

Moitra had on Tuesday stirred a controversy by saying that she has every right as an individual to imagine goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess, as every person has the right to worship god and goddess in his or her own way.

While taking part in India Today Conclave East held in Kolkata, the Krishnanagar MP said it is up to individuals how they view their gods. “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 said.

Moitra said that people have the right to imagine their gods or goddess in the way they want. “For me, Goddess Kali is a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess. And if you go to Tarapith (a major Shakti peeth in West Bengal’s 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,” she said.

Moitra had said this when asked about a film that had courted controversy after it had put up posters showing Goddess Kali smoking. She said, “I have the freedom to do it (envision a meat-eating goddess) as much as you have the freedom to worship your god as vegetarian and white-clothed.”

While the BJP went hammer and tongs against Moitra and wondered if it was the official stand of West Bengal’s ruling party to insult Hindu gods and goddesses, the TMC distanced itself from the comment and condemned it.

In the Twitter message, the Trinamool Congress leadership clearly said that views expressed by Moitra on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity and not endorsed by the party in any manner or form. “All India Trinamool Congress condemns such comments,” the Twitter message from the official handle of the party has read.

Moitra did not make any delay in reacting over the growing controversies. “To all you Sanghis lying will not make you better Hindus. I NEVER backed any film or poster or mentioned the work smoking. Suggest you visit my Maa Kali in Tarapith to see what food & drink is offered as bhog. Joy Ma Tara,” Moitra said in a counter Twitter message.

Meanwhile, Moitra reportedly unfollowed the official Twitter handle of the party. However, she has continued following the official Twitter handle of West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.

“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 tweeted. “Jai Ma Kali! The goddess Bengalis worship is fearless & non-appeasing.,” she tweeted.

-PTI