Madhya Pradesh govt asks Twitter to check messages hurting religious sentiments

Bhopal: After registering a First Information Report (FIR) against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra at a police station in Bhopal, the BJP has now asked Twitter to check tweets aimed at hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.

Briefing the press on Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who is also the spokesperson of the government, said that he is writing to Twitter to check alleged derogatory remarks made by some people, which have hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

"I am going to write a letter to Twitter on the issue. Twitter should check tweets posted by people having perverted mentality, like the Kali film director Leena Manimekalai, who posts a photo of goddess Kali smoking beedi. These people use Twitter as tool to hurt sentiments of Hindus," Mishra said.

He further said that the MP government will also write to the Centre to issue a lookout circular against Canada based film maker and director of film Kali.

The controversy erupted after Manimekalai posted a poster of the film, depicting Goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBT banner.

The controversy escalated further after Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra at a conclave in Bengal said she has every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity, as each person has his or her unique way of offering prayers.

Following this, separate FIRs were registered in BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh against Moitra and Manimekalai in Bhopal on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is relentlessly campaigning for the party in ongoing Municipal polls, has been attacking opposition highlighting this issue during public meetings.