Delhi BJP leaders lodge FIR against filmmaker Manimekalai, MP Moitra
Jul 07, 2022
New Delhi [India], July 7 : Amid the ongoing 'Kaali' poster row in the country, Delhi leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party have lodged a complaint against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai, TMC MP Mahua Moitra and several others on Thursday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
BJP leaders in the national capital, including Harish Khurana, Rajan Tiwari and others have lodged an official complaint against the filmmaker, TMC MP, and others under Section 295, 505 (2), 153B, 509, 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66 and 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The filmmaker has been accused of hurting religious sentiments after she shared a poster of her documentary 'Kaali' which portrays Goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag, while the MP has been booked for her comments regarding the 'Kaali' row.
According to the lodged complaint, Manimekalai had "crossed the line of morality" and hurt the religious sentiments of the public after she tweeted the poster of her upcoming film on July 2.
"Nowadays, many redicalist associations are getting foreign funds to disturb the religious harmony of our country and this picture though released in Toronto but its posters and videos are circulated in all parts of our country, thereby endangering the peace and harmony of our
country," the complaint read.
Terming the TMC MP's statement "provocative", the complainant in their FIR submitted, "The statement against goddess Maakaali is in itself provocative and insulting remark
and hurting the sentiments of worshippers of goddess Maakaali and Hindu religion," the complainants said quoting Moitra's remarks that she made in a recent interview.
On being asked about the controversy at India Today Conclave East held in Kolkata, Moitra had said, "Within Hinduism, being a Kali worshipper I have the freedom to imagine my Kali in that way... that is my freedom and I don't think anyone's sentiments should be hurt. I have the freedom... as much as you have to worship your god."
She had stated, "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)."
Highlighting the diversity in the country, the FIR further read, "in a country like India where diversity is also seen in the thought processes of individuals, such an act can fume religious sentiments and beliefs of Hindu Community, moreover, it also leads to unasked for and uncontrollable outrage. These are deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs."
