New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said that the blessings of Goddess Kali are always with India, which is moving ahead with a spiritual energy for the welfare of the world. The remarks of PM Modi during his address at the centenary celebrations of Swami Atmasthananda, come amid a raging controversy triggered by the depiction of Goddess Kali in in a film poster by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai and the comments by Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra.
Virtually addressing the centenary celebrations of Swami Atmasthananda, organised by Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata, the Prime Minister said: "Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa was one such saint who had a vision of Maa Kali, who had surrendered his whole being at the feet of Maa Kali. He used to say this whole world, everything is pervaded by the consciousness of the Goddess. This consciousness is visible in the Kali Puja of Bengal. This consciousness is visible in the faith of Bengal and the country."
The Prime Minister further said, "Whenever I had the opportunity, I visited Belur Math and the (Dakhineshwar) Kali temple (across the river); it is natural to feel a connection. When your faith and beliefs are pure, the power (Goddess) herself shows you the way. The limitless blessings of Maa Kali are always with India. The country is moving ahead with this spiritual energy for the world's welfare."
For the unversed, Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa is the 19th century Bengal mystic and also the guru of Swami Vivekananda.
Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual address at the event ended, BJP leader and party's IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the portion of the PM's speech and attacked West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and her party MP Mahua Moitra attacked Moitra over the Kaali controversy.
He also slammed Mamata Banerjee for defending the the "obnoxious" portrayal of the goddess by her party MP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks reverentially about Maa Kaali being the center of devotion, not just for Bengal but whole of India. On the other hand, a TMC MP insults Maa Kaali and Mamata Banerjee instead of acting against her, defends her obnoxious portrayal of Maa Kaali... pic.twitter.com/6O4vYGkasi
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 10, 2022
The BJP has been demanding the suspension of Moitra from the Trinamool Congress. The Lok Sabha MP has been facing massive criticism and backlash after she said that to her, Goddess Kali is a "meat-loving, alcohol-accepting" deity.
"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). I, within Hinduism, being a Kali worshipper, have the right to imagine Kali in that way; that is my freedom," Moitra said.
Mamata Banerjee-led TMC distanced itself from the comment by its MP and said it was Mahua Moitra's personal opinion and not the party's stand.
Moitra, however, continued to hold her ground and was affirmed and assertive that what she said was "not hurtful" and is actually how the goddess is worshipped.
Moitra also clarified that her comments on Goddess Kali was not in the context of the film poster.
The controversy over Kali triggered earlier this month after a Canada-based Tamil filmmaker, Leena Manimekalai released a poster of her documentary in which a woman was shown dressed as Goddess Kali and smoking a cigarette.
FIRs have lodged against Manimekalai in several states and she has been accused of deliberately hurting Hindu sentiments. Meanwhile, after immense criticism by the Indian High Commission in Canada, Aga Khan Museum and The Toronto Metropolitan University issued apologies.
With inputs from agencies
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