Mohua Moitra booked under Section 295A for saying Kali is a ‘meat-eating, alcohol accepting goddess’

July 6: An FIR was registered on Wednesday under Section 295A against TMC MP Mahua Moitra in Bhopal for allegedly ”outraging religious feelings” as the row over her comment on Goddess Kali intensified. Section 295A defines and prescribes a punishment for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

A day after the Trinamool Congress distanced itself from Mahua Moitra’s comments on Goddess Kali, the party MP has unfollowed TMC’s official Twitter handle. Moitra is now only following TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Twitter.

The official handle of TMC wrote, “The comments made by @MahuaMoitra at the India Today Conclave East 2022 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 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

Mahua Moitra, while responding to a question at a conclave on the controversy over ‘Kaali’ film poster showing a woman dressed as Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette, said that her Goddess was meat-eating and alcohol accepting. After widespread criticism on social media, Moitra said later on Tuesday that she “did not back any film or poster or mention the word smoking”.

She also said, “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).” Mahua further said that “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.”

Grabbing the opportunity, the BJP lashed out at Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for insulting remarks on Goddess Kaali and asked if the “freedom of speech is only for insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses.” BJP’s social media head Amit Malviya has slammed Mahua Moitra for ‘insulting’ Goddess Kali and dared her to make similar comments about the Gods of other religions.

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

Mahua has now found support in Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen. Responding to widespread protest by the BJP, Mahua wrote on twitter, “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… I do not want to live in an India where BJP’s monolithic patriarchal brahminical view of Hinduism will prevail & rest of us will tiptoe around religion. I will defend this till I die. File your FIRs – will see you in every court in the land.”

It may be recalled a huge controversy has erupted over the poster of Canada-based Indian filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s upcoming documentary “Kaali.” The poster of the film depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background. Several police complaints have been filed against the filmmaker for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra seemed to have a Silchar connection. Subimal Bhattacharjee, Director of Jookto on Tuesday in a Facebook post posted a photograph with the TMC MP and wrote, “After her speech at the India Today Conclave and then a conversation with Mahua Moitra… I wasn’t aware of the fact that she was born at Labac Tea Estate in Cachar and her mother is from Silchar, till she told today.”