Lagatar24 Desk
Jhunjhunu, July 9: The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday commented on the debate around a movie poster that shows Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette.
Speaking to the media during the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Prant Pracharaks meet in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, the right-wing group emphasised that no one should offend someone’s religious sensibilities.
“Creative freedom has been a tradition in India. But no one should hurt anyone’s religious sentiments. Everyone should be careful about that,” Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS, said.
The comments were made amid a heated debate about the documentary “Kaali” by Leena Manimekalai, whose poster depicts the Hindu goddess smoking while carrying a pride flag for the LGBTQ+ community. Manimekalai has been the subject of numerous FIRs for allegedly hurting religious emotions.
Mahua Moitra, a member of the Trinamool Congress, remarked in response to an inquiry about the contentious poster that she had every right as “an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess.” This further stoked the debate. As a result of her contentious statement, Moitra is currently the subject of multiple police complaints.
