'Kaali' row: MP home minister to write to Twitter to check messages hurting religious sentiments

BHOPAL: Taking a serious note of the depiction of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in an alleged derogatory manner by some people, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday said that he will write a letter to Twitter to check tweets aimed at hurting religious sentiments of people.

Mishra told reporters that the MP government will also write to the Centre to issue a lookout circular against Canada-based film-maker Leena Manimekalai, who had tweeted a controversial poster of her documentary film "Kaali", which showed the Goddess smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag.

Earlier on Wednesday, separate FIRs were registered in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Canada-based film-maker Leena Manimekalai for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

A First Information Report was registered in Bhopal against Moitra over her remark about Goddess Kali, whereas two FIRs were registered against Manimekalai in the state capital and Ratlam.

Speaking to reporters at his residence here on Thursday, Mishra said, “Twitter should check tweets posted by people having perverted mentality, like the 'Kaali' film director, Leena Manimekalai, who posts a photo of Kaali smoking beedi, or that of (Lord) Shankarji, and using Twitter as a tool and hurting religious sentiments of the people. it should stop such messages at its own level by screening them.

”"I am going to write a letter to Twitter on the issue,” said Mishra, who is also the state government's spokesperson. The minister said they will also write to the central government to issue a lookout circular against Manimekalai "as whatever she is doing appears to be deliberate".

Moitra, at a conclave, in response to the row over the "Kaali" poster, had said she has every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity, as each person had his or her unique way of offering prayers.