On Friday, July 8, the radical Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) extended its support to TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who had recently waded into the Kaali poster row with her contentious remark on the Hindu Goddess Maa Kali. The extremist Islamic outfit, that has been involved in serious acts of violence across India, called the TMC MP ‘courageous’ for taking a principled stand against Hindutva. The PFI’s support for the TMC leader came after the party distanced itself from her comments.
Anis Ahmed, the General Secretary of the Popular Front of India Tweeted on July 7, “It takes a lot of courage to be firm on our stand when even people who believe in our stand ask us to be silent. @MahuaMoitra has always taken a principled stand against Hindutva and the RSS attempt to hijack Hinduism. Surely the Sanghis are rattled by her stand and courage.”
It takes a lot of courage to be firm on our stand when even people who believe in our stand ask us to be silent.
— Anis Ahmed (Gen. Secretary, PFI) (@AnisPFI) July 7, 2022
@MahuaMoitra has always taken a principled stand against Hindutva and the RSS attempt to hijack Hinduism.
Surely the Sanghis are rattled by her stand and courage. https://t.co/4MFrCDAzA0
Notably, Anis Ahmed is the same PFI leader who was booked last year for his hate speech during the Ram Mandir donation drive. Anis Ahmed had warned Muslims against donating to Ram Mandir’s construction. Speaking at a PFI rally in Ullal, Karnataka, the PFI leader asked Muslims to mark the Hindu activists, especially RSS and BJP workers, residing in their locality. Anis Ahmad had said that the Hindu nationalist organisation was the country’s real enemy and claimed that the RSS was more dangerous than cancer. He further said that RSS should be confronted and not appeased.
Mamata Banerjee defends her MP Mahua Moitra
PFI’s remark came on the day, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee too came out in defence of her MP. “We make mistakes while working but they can be rectified,” said Mamata Banerjee while addressing a students’ credit cards distribution event in Kolkata where she tried to vindicate Moitra, facing flak for her disparaging remark against the Hindu deity.
TMC condemns comments on Goddess Kaali by its own MP Mahua Moitra
Prior to this, TMC had condemned the remarks made by party Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Goddess Kaali during the India Today Conclave East 2022. Distancing itself from Mahua’s controversial comments, the party said that the comments were made by Mahua Moitra in her personal capacity and were not endorsed by TMC.
TMC MP’s remark on Maa Kali
On July 5, while responding to a question at the media event, Mahua Moitra said, “You have the freedom to imagine your goddess. To me, Kaali is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. There are some places where whiskey is offered to gods and in some other places it would be blasphemy.”
Mahua Moitra was speaking in support of the Canadian Canada-based filmmaker Leena Manimekali who has come under fire for using a poster with a cigarette-smoking image of Maa Kaali to promote her upcoming film.
After receiving widespread criticism on social media, Mahua Moitra Tweeted, “To all you sanghis- lying will NOT make you better hindus. I NEVER backed any film or poster or mentioned the word smoking.” She also asked people to visit Maa Kali in Tarapith to see what food & drink is offered as bhog at that temple.
