Ottawa: The ‘Kaali’ poster controversy intensified on Thursday as in a seemingly deliberate attempt to offend Hindus, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai tweeted a photograph of two artists dressed as Shiva and Parvati, smoking ‘bidi’. After this, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the state government will write to the center to issue a Lookout Circular (LoC) against Manimekalai.
“I will also write to Twitter to caution the social media app that it is becoming a tool at the hands of people spreading hatred against religion,” he said.
Two separate FIRs were registered against Manimekalai in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh since the controversy broke out. On Wednesday, two additional cases were filed against her in Bhopal and Ratlam. FIRs have also been filed against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for allegedly hurting religious feelings with her comments about the goddess.
Earlier on July 5, Aga Khan Museum issued a statement and tendered an apology for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindu and other faith communities. The statement was issued in context to the screening of the Hinduphobic film ‘Kaali’ by Kollywood director Leena Manimekalai.
In its statement, the Museum said, “The Museum deeply regrets that one of the 18 short videos from ‘Under the Tent’ and its accompanying social media post have inadvertently caused offense to members of the Hindu and other faith communities.” The Toronto Metropolitan University also issued a statement saying that the film ‘Kaali’ would not be part of the further screening of the ‘Under The Tent’ event.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa said, “We have received complaints from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada about the disrespectful depiction of Hindu gods, and urged the authorities to remove all such content.”
